When Brenda Bryson looks at the abundant flax growing across Saskatchewan’s golden fields, she doesn’t just see a crop – she sees untapped potential for addressing Canada’s digestive health crisis. The North Battleford entrepreneur has spent five years developing FibreEssence, a natural fibre product hitting store shelves this month that could help the estimated 5 million Canadians struggling with digestive issues.
“It started with my own health challenges,” Bryson told me during our conversation at her modest production facility on the outskirts of North Battleford. “Doctors kept telling me to add more fibre to my diet, but everything available either tasted terrible or had artificial ingredients I couldn’t pronounce.”
That personal frustration sparked what would become a half-decade journey into food science, regulatory approvals, and business development. Bryson, previously an accountant with no food industry experience, identified a crucial gap in Canada’s health food market: truly natural, locally-sourced fibre supplements without additives.
The timing couldn’t be better. According to Statistics Canada data released earlier this year, Canadian fibre consumption has fallen to concerning levels, with the average adult consuming just 14 grams daily – well below the recommended 25-38 grams. Meanwhile, the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation reports that digestive disorders cost our healthcare system approximately $18 billion annually in direct and indirect costs.
FibreEssence’s main innovation is its specialized milling process that preserves the nutrient profile of Saskatchewan-grown flax, oats, and chia seeds while creating a texture that blends seamlessly into foods without the grittiness that turns many consumers away from fibre supplements.
“The breakthrough came when we realized we needed to focus as much on texture as nutrition,” explains Bryson. “You can create the healthiest product in the world, but if people won’t actually use it, what’s the point?”
Dr. Michael Thompson, a gastroenterologist at the University of Saskatchewan who wasn’t involved in the product development but has reviewed its nutritional profile, sees potential. “The combination of soluble and insoluble fibres in this product provides a comprehensive approach to digestive health. What’s particularly interesting is how they’ve maintained the natural lignans and omega fatty acids that are often lost in processing.”
The path from kitchen experiment to commercial product wasn’t straightforward. Bryson faced multiple challenges scaling production while maintaining her commitment to sourcing ingredients exclusively from Canadian farms. She initially bootstrapped the company with $75,000 of personal savings before securing a small business loan and later winning a $100,000 innovation grant from Saskatchewan’s agriculture development program.
“There were plenty of cheaper options from international suppliers,” Bryson admits, “but supporting local agriculture was non-negotiable for me. Plus, we can guarantee quality control when we know exactly where our ingredients come from.”
Her persistence appears to be paying off. Initial production runs of FibreEssence have already been picked up by 28 independent health food stores across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with discussions underway with larger retailers. The company projects first-year sales of $350,000, modest by industry standards but remarkable for a solo entrepreneur from a city of just over 14,000 people.
What separates FibreEssence from competitors isn’t just its local sourcing but its versatility. Unlike many fibre supplements designed to be consumed with water, FibreEssence can be incorporated into recipes from smoothies to baked goods without affecting taste or texture. This approach aligns with changing consumer preferences toward functional foods rather than pills or powders.
“We’re seeing a significant shift in how Canadians approach nutritional supplements,” explains Marta Rodriguez, market research director at Canadian Food Insights. “The pandemic accelerated interest in food as medicine, with 73% of consumers in our latest survey expressing preference for addressing health concerns through diet rather than supplements.”
The product arrives at a pivotal moment for Canada’s natural health product industry. Health Canada’s regulatory framework for natural health products is undergoing its most significant revision in decades, with new labeling requirements and efficacy standards coming into effect next year. Bryson’s meticulous approach to compliance means FibreEssence is already aligned with these forthcoming regulations.
For all her success, Bryson remains refreshingly candid about the challenges of building a health food business from a small prairie city. “There were countless moments I considered giving up,” she says, showing me a notebook filled with formula iterations and rejected prototypes. “Having limited access to big-city networking opportunities and investment capital meant everything took longer.”
That geographic isolation may have ultimately strengthened her business model. Without easy access to large manufacturing facilities, Bryson developed a production system that minimizes waste and energy consumption while maximizing nutrient preservation. The result is not just a healthier product but a more sustainable one.
As our conversation concludes, Bryson shares her broader vision: creating a template for rural food innovation that other entrepreneurs can follow. She’s already mentoring two other North Battleford residents working on value-added agricultural products.
“Saskatchewan grows some of the world’s best crops, but too often we ship them elsewhere for processing,” she notes. “There’s tremendous opportunity to create jobs and keep value in our communities by developing finished products right here.”
With digestive health increasingly recognized as foundational to overall wellness, and Canadian consumers prioritizing natural, locally-sourced options, Bryson’s timing may prove as perfect as her product formulation. Whether FibreEssence becomes a national brand or remains a regional success, it already represents something significant: proof that innovation in Canada’s food industry isn’t limited to corporate R&D labs in major cities.
Sometimes, it grows from the same prairie soil as the ingredients themselves.
