WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA — With more than half of Canada’s wheat exports being used to manufacture Asian-style noodles, the Canadian government has decided to support research at the University of Manitoba that will help Canadian manufacturers of Asian-style noodles boost their production, enhancing economic activity in an export industry that is a major source of foreign revenue. The announcement was made on April 14 by Rod Bruinooge, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, on behalf of Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology), at the University of Manitoba.

Martin Scanlon at the University of Manitoba and his research team are working with manufacturer VN Instruments Ltd. to develop a prototype acoustic sensor system that will make rolling sheet manufacturing processes more efficient. In addition, the Canadian International Grains Institute will provide Scanlon and his team access to a functional pilot-scale noodle manufacturing line to test the acoustic sensor system. The system will initially be applied to measure the properties of noodle dough sheets.

Scanlon's research is being supported with an investment of C$543,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's (NSERC) Strategic Project Grants program.