A Better Sugar Cube

By EduTransfer Design Associates and Haywire Creative

March 15, 2010

Photo by Island Abbey Foods Ltd.

An entrepreneur and engineer, John Rowe, President of Island Abbey Foods Ltd. in Charlottetown, PEI has discovered a better sugar cube made from honey. A backcountry hiking experience near Whistler in the early 90s and a shattered jar of honey coating the contents of his backpack and tent was Rowe’s ‘eureka’ moment.

“When I got home from the trip, I started researching whether dry honey products existed and discovered that no one had figured out how to dehydrate honey,” says Rowe. “Although there were a few honey candies and lozenges on the market, they were all made from refined sugar and flavored with honey.” Rowe set out to discover a solution and after success on a small scale decided to find out if the process could be commercialized.

After moving back to PEI in 2004 where his family has been farming for six generations, Rowe began working with the PEI Food Technology Centre to scale up his patented process. “Honey is between 15 and 20 % water depending on the type of honey and the time of harvest,” explains Rowe. “My process results in a dry form of honey with all of its natural unrefined sugars and healthy elements that can be used for many different products.”

With tea consumption growing by double digits and overtaking coffee consumption over the past few years, Rowe decided the first product should be a better sugar cube for tea drinkers. “We developed the Honey Drop™, the world's first pure, non-sticky honey that you can hold in your hand,” says Rowe. “We launched the Honey Drop in 2008 and since then have launched Honey Delights™, the world’s first healthy candy made with natural unrefined sugar.”

The process does not alter the sugars in the honey, but maintains the unrefined sugars and various nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants in the final products. “More people are recognizing the benefits of honey over other types of sweeteners and we now have a healthy alternative to offer them,” explains Rowe. “Last year the American Academy of Pediatrics released a report that stated no child under the age of 6 should be fed any refined sugar and the Canadian Pediatric Society followed a similar strategy. Our line of pure honey candies is literally the healthiest in the world.”

New products include honey sprinkles for baking and other products suitable for food service and manufacturers. “Fresh honey is a challenge to use and many manufacturers choose not to because it is inconvenient and costly to handle,” says Rowe. “We have developed powdered and granular honey for food service and food manufacturers to use as an alternative to other sweeteners that are stable and easy to use in their processing lines.” The process also captures the water during production and this honey essence byproduct will have applications for flavorings, cosmetics and other uses.

Honibe purchases all of its fresh honey from local producers and other suppliers across Canada. The products are largely made with clover honey because it is what most North American consumers prefer. However, they also have some smaller specialty lines for specific clients such as buckwheat, wild flower and manuka honey from New Zealand. The processing facility has about 25 full-time staff and certified organic product lines are also available. Honibe has national distribution for its products, which are available from retailers such as Safeway, Sobeys, London Drugs and other specialty grocery stores, and an online store.

Rowe acknowledges the support he has received from the PEI Department of Innovation, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), National Research Council, PEI Department of Agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) for mentorship, resources and funding. “Their support has been vital to our success to date,” says Rowe. “AAFC has lots of programs that are beneficial to companies who are trying to test and launch new ideas or products.”