Singaporean alt-protein company Growthwell Foods is to open an Innovation and R&D Manufacturing Centre, which it claims will be the country’s first fully automated large-scale production facility for plant-based products.
Located at JTC Foodhub Senoko, the state-of-the-art facility will be able to produce 2,000 tonnes of alt-protein products per year, fuelling Growthwell’s ambition to become the leading plant-based food-tech company in Asia. The centre will feature the first production-scale High Moisture Extrusion line in Singapore, which will significantly improve the texture of Growthwell’s alt-meat products.
The fully automated production, freezing, and packaging line will allow for greater economies of scale, helping to reduce prices for consumers. It will also make it possible for Growthwell to produce a wider range of plant-based foods, offering consumers more choice. Meanwhile, R&D activities at the centre will work on improving the taste and nutrition of the products.
The new facility has partly been made possible by Growthwell’s recent Series A funding round, where the company raised $22 million to accelerate its expansion. In July, Growthwell also announced a strategic partnership with conventional meat and seafood provider Indoguna to increase product distribution to more restaurants, cafes, and hotels.
“Growthwell Foods is driven by an ambitious goal of feeding 100 million people with plant-based foods, and to inspire a billion people to go green,” said Justin Chou, Executive Director of Growthwell Foods. “We will continue to be the leader that drives food sustainability innovation in Asia.”