Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore has announced a partnership with global agribusiness and food company Bunge to produce alternative protein flavors using fermentation.
The agreement marks the first successful partnership of the Singapore Agri-food Innovation Lab (SAIL), which is funded by Enterprise Singapore. SAIL works to connect solution providers with multinational corporations in order to enhance the agri-food innovation ecosystem.
As part of the partnership, Bunge will supply soybean, canola, and sunflower fats and oils, along with oilseed meal and cake (formed after oil is extracted from seeds). NTU’s Food Science and Technology Programme (FST), led by Professor William Chen, will use these ingredients to develop new flavors for use in alternative proteins and plant-based protein products.
To achieve this, the researchers will employ solid-state fermentation, which is said to be more cost-effective than other fermentation techniques as it requires fewer resources. As well as producing new flavors, enzymes, and acids, the technology will provide a new use for oilseed meal and cake, which are typically used for livestock feed.
The food flavors to be developed will include umami, or savoriness, which is one of the five basic tastes alongside sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness. The meaty flavor profile of umami makes it important for adding depth and richness to plant-based products.
Bunge invests in plant-based
Bunge has invested significantly in the plant-based industry over the past year; in July 2023, the company broke ground on a new soy processing facility in Indiana, US, which will produce protein concentrates for the plant-based food market.
Towards the end of 2023, Bunge announced it had developed a “superior-tasting” plant-based butter for bakery applications. A third-party study verified that the product generates just half the emissions of dairy butter.
Bunge also revealed last month that it has expanded its protein concentrate portfolio to include pea and faba protein concentrates. The ingredients will be produced by leading dry miller Golden Fields at a newly constructed factory in Liepaja, Latvia.
“Our new pea and faba protein concentrates are setting the bar for European-origin pulse proteins to help customers meet growth and sustainability needs across food and feed,” said Bunge on social media.
