The Impact of Regulatory, Human Capital and Financial Barriers on Functional Food and Neutraceutical Firm Performance in Canada Abstract We explore the impacts of financial, human resource and regulatory barriers on the performance of firms engaged in advanced food innovation and commercialization in Canada, particularly the functional foods and nutraceuticals sectors. [...] The aim of this paper is to explore the scope and impact of three specific barriers, related to regulation, human capital and finance, on the Canadian functional food and nutraceutical sector. [...] To best of our knowledge, however, a systematic exploration of the nature and significance of barriers faced by Canadian functional food and nutraceutical firms and the influence of such barriers on firm competitiveness and performance has not been undertaken. [...] Further, the reluctance of innovative firms to reveal their ideas to financial markets (because of the non-rival nature of such information) reduces the quality of the signal the firm can deliver about a potential project (Bhattacharya and Ritter 1983). [...] The first model includes all functional food and nutraceutical firms; the second includes firms only in the functional food sector and the third includes firms only in the nutraceutical sector.