Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 28, 2021) - Burcon NutraScience Corporation (TSX: BU) (NASDAQ: BRCN) ("Burcon or the "Company"), a global technology leader in the development of clean-label, plant-based proteins for foods and beverages, is pleased to share that its joint venture company, Merit Functional Foods Corporation ("Merit Foods") received a second co-investment from Protein Industries Canada, which will see Merit Foods' game-changing pea and canola protein ingredients utilized in new plant-based products.

The project will see Merit Functional Foods, TWC Nutrition, Daiya Foods and Grand River Foods partnering to develop new plant-based products which may include meat and dairy alternatives, ready-to-drink beverages, supplement powders and other plant-based applications for the global food and beverage market. Led by Merit Foods, this project has a total investment of $7.9 million with Protein Industries Canada providing half of the total investment into the project.

"We are pleased to see the continued support from Protein Industries Canada as Merit enters production of its innovative, Canadian-sourced pea and canola protein ingredients," said Johann F. Tergesen, Burcon's president and chief executive officer, adding, "With this investment, Merit and its partners can accelerate the development of and bring to market tasty and nutritious plant-based foods and beverages that consumers will enjoy."

Protein Industries Canada is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization committed to positioning Canada as a global source of high-quality plant protein ingredients. It is one of Canada's five innovation superclusters, which are government-initiated efforts to significantly boost Canada's job market, GDP, groundbreaking research, and bold innovations.

Read the full news release from Protein Industries Canada here.

About Burcon NutraScience Corporation

Burcon is a global technology leader in the development of clean-label, plant-based proteins for foods and beverages. With over 300 issued patents and 200 additional patent applications developed over a span of more than 20 years, Burcon has grown an extensive portfolio of composition, application and process patents covering novel plant-based proteins derived from pea, canola, soy, hemp, sunflower seed and more. In 2019, Merit Functional Foods Corporation ("Merit Foods") was established in a joint venture between Burcon and three veteran food industry executives. Merit Foods has built a state-of-the-art protein production facility in Manitoba, Canada to produce, under licence, Burcon's novel pea and canola protein ingredients. For more information, visit www.burcon.ca.

Forward-Looking Information Cautionary Statement

The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy of the content of the information contained herein. This press release contains forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements or forward-looking information involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performances, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements or forward-looking information can be identified by words such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "project," "estimate," "expect," "believe," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "could," "will" and similar references to future periods. All statements included in this release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the timing for listing of the Company's common stock on the Nasdaq, the continued listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the withdrawal from the OTCQB, shareholder value, the Company's visibility and liquidity, the Company's development in the food industry, the Company's intellectual property portfolio and Merit Foods. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Burcon's plans and expectations include receipt of all regulatory approvals for listing of the Company's common stock on the Nasdaq; the duration and effects of COVID-19; the actual results of business negotiations; marketing activities; adverse general economic, market or business conditions; regulatory changes; and other risks and factors detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by Burcon with securities regulators and stock exchanges, including in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Burcon's annual information form for the year ended March 31, 2020 and its other public filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements or information. Any forward-looking statement or information speaks only as of the date on which it was made, and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Burcon disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Burcon believes the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and, accordingly, investors should not rely on such statements.

Industry Contact
Paul Lam
Manager, Business Development and IRO
Burcon NutraScience Corporation
Tel (604) 733-0896, Toll-free (888) 408-7960
plam@burcon.ca
www.burcon.ca

Investor Contact
James Carbonara
Hayden IR
Tel (646) 755-7412
james@haydenir.com

Media Contact:
Steve Campbell, APR
President
Campbell & Company Public Relations
Tel (604) 888-5267
tech@ccom-pr.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85677