Singapore

National University Singapore

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Protein

Bezos Earth Fund Establishes Sustainable Protein Research Hub at National University of Singapore

The Bezos Earth Fund has announced the establishment of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at the National University of Singapore (NUS), marking its first initiative of this kind in Asia. The centre, which is backed by a US$30 million grant, will focus on advancing sustainable protein research and the commercial development of alternative proteins in the region. The NUS centre will focus on key areas such as biomass fermentation, which involves using by-products like tofu waste to feed algae and produce high-quality protein. This research initiative forms part of a global network, joining other Bezos Centres for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London in the UK and North Carolina State University in the US.  Professor Tan Eng Chye, president of NUS, explained the importance …

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Pieces of meat by Ants Innovative

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Ingredients

Ants Innovate Unveils Cell-Based Ingredient that “Captures the Maximum Flavor of Meat”

Singapore’s Ants Innovate, a deep tech startup focusing on developing cultivated whole meat cuts, held a private tasting to debut Cell Essence, a functional ingredient designed for hybrid (cell- and plant-based) products that is said to deliver an authentic meaty flavor. The Good Food Institute APAC reports that the company featured porcine Cell Essence in different meat alternative dishes, including meatballs, Shanghai-style soup dumplings, and teriyaki grilled meat skewers at the tasting. Attendee Calisa Lim, Senior Project Manager at APAC-SCA, shared on social media, “In a private tasting session today, the versatile cultivated oil was incorporated into an IKEA-style meatball, Shanghai-style xiao long bao (!), and a teriyaki grilled skewer. The small percentage of cells (<3%) was enough to deliver on the sweet, salty, and …

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Ajinomoto launches products made with Solein air protein

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Products & Launches

Ajinomoto to Launch Two Products Made With Solar Foods’ Air-Based Protein in Singapore

Solar Foods has announced the launch of two new products made with its air-based protein, Solein, through a partnership with Japanese food manufacturer Ajinomoto Group. The products, Traditional Flowering Mooncakes and Ice Cream Sandwiches, will launch in Singapore under Ajinomoto’s new conscious brand, Atlr.72™. Solein replaces dairy in the products, providing protein, a rich consistency, and a reduced environmental impact. The other ingredients have also reportedly been chosen for their focus on health and sustainability. Solar Foods describes the limited edition launch as a “significant leap forward”, marking the availability of Solein for consumers and larger-scale commercial use. The products will make their debut ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, when Singaporeans gift each other traditional mooncakes. The pilot is taking place in Singapore as the …

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NTU partners with Bunge to develop alternative protein flavors

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Ingredients

NTU Singapore Partners With Bunge to Develop Alternative Protein Flavors Using Fermentation

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 …

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A partnership between the Singapore’s UMAMI Bioworks and the young US company Friends & Family Pet Food Co (FnF) is set to launch one of world's first cultivated fish cat treats brand in Singapore and San Francisco in early 2025.

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Company News

UMAMI Bioworks and Friends & Family Pet Food Co. to Launch Cultivated Fish Cat Treats in 2025

A partnership between Singapore’s UMAMI Bioworks, (previously Umami Meats) and the young US company Friends & Family Pet Food Co. (recently part of the ProVeg Incubator’s 12th cohort) is set to launch one of the world’s first cultivated fish cat treats in Singapore and in San Francisco, USA, early next year. The new products, reportedly crafted with high-quality cultivated fish proteins enriched with high-value microalgae and essential nutrients, aimed to promote what FnF calls a “Longevity Diet” for cats. In addition, the animal and ocean-friendly cat food lineup offers significant environmental benefits since cultivated fish production is more resource-efficient, requiring less land, water, and feed than traditional fishing methods or aquaculture. Joshua Errett, Friends & Family CEO and founder, states, “Together, we have created a …

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Cultivated seafood startup Umami Bioworks and India’s IKP Knowledge Park, a premium Science Park and Incubator India, have announced a partnership to accelerate the production of cultivated seafood.

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Cultivated Seafood

Cultivated Seafood Pioneer UMAMI Bioworks Sets Foot in India with IKP Partnership

Cultivated seafood startup UMAMI Bioworks, (previously Umami Meats) has announced a partnership with India’s premium Science Park and Incubator, IKP Knowledge Park, to accelerate the production of cultivated seafood. IKP has recently established the Centre for Smart Protein and Sustainable Material Innovation in Bangalore, which facilitates core R&D, innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange for the smart protein sector. At the centre, UMAMI Bioworks’ team in India will lead the engineering and validation of the company’s plug-and-play manufacturing hardware, supporting tech transfer from their demonstration line to customer sites. Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CEO of IKP Knowledge Park, welcomed UMAMI Bioworks and expressed excitement about the novel technology platform it brings to the smart protein ecosystem. She shared, “This collaboration will not only accelerate Umami’s growth …

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Cellivate Technologies' team

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Cultivated Meat

Cellivate Technologies Wins $3.3M on Business Reality TV Show to Reduce Animal Slaughter Using Cells

Singapore’s Cellivate Technologies, a deep-tech startup developing cell-based solutions for cultivated meat, leather, and cruelty-free cosmetics, has emerged as the top winner of Channel News Asia’s (CNA) business reality show, The Big Spark. After competing with two dozen regional startups, Cellivate Technologies will potentially receive SGD 4.15 million (around $3.3 million) in funding from five venture capital companies, including Singapore’s Antler and Rigel-Farro Capital, which according to CNA, will support the cell ag startup with SGD 3.3 million. At The Big Spark, CEO and founder Dr. Viknish Krishnan-Kutty highlighted the topic of ethical meat consumption via plant-based and cell-based solutions. He said the funds would expand R&D, production capabilities, and the company’s team, adding a commercial unit for business growth. The problem of capital for …

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Singapore Grants University of Illinois ARCS $14.8M to Launch Precision Fermentation Center

The team led by Professor Yong-Su Jin at the Illinois Advanced Research Center at Singapore (ARCS), an affiliated center of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has received a five-year, $14.8 million grant from Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF) to establish the Centre for Precision Fermentation and Sustainability (PreFerS). According to the announcement, the research at the new center will focus on microbial cell engineering or precision fermentation to convert readily available compounds like sugars into molecules, including alternative proteins, healthy fats, and vitamins. PreFerS aims to improve food supply chain resilience, reduce environmental impacts associated with food production, and address micronutrient deficiency, touted as the hidden hunger. Regarding its broader impact, the project aims to help Singapore achieve its goal of locally producing 30% of …

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ScaleUp Bio has secured a food manufacturing license from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for its commercial pilot production facility in Tuas, western Singapore. 

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

ADM’s ScaleUp Bio Secures Food Manufacturing License for Novel Proteins in Singapore

ScaleUp Bio, Singapore’s pioneer provider of CDMO services for microbial and precision fermentation, has secured a food manufacturing license from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for its commercial pilot production facility in Tuas, western Singapore.  The FSA ensures that food production practices meet established safety standards by inspecting infrastructure and facilities. It also requires proper training, collaboration, and regulatory adherence to maintain high hygiene and operational quality levels. The company states that this milestone positions it as one of the few approved CDMOs offering fermentation services at 10,000 L for food ingredients worldwide. Francisco Codoñer, CEO of ScaleUp Bio, shares, “ScaleUp Bio’s value proposition offers anyone with the next best concept in food to bring that idea to reality, and to pilot stage commercial production in Singapore, backed by a …

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GOOD Meat in retail

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Cultivated Meat

GOOD Meat Announces the World’s First Retail Sales of Cultivated Meat

US cultivated meat company GOOD Meat announces the retail launch of a new product, GOOD Meat 3, at the frozen section of the premium meats specialist Huber’s Butchery in Singapore.  GOOD Meat has been producing and selling its chicken in the city-state, by releasing limited quantities in fine dining establishments, food delivery apps, hawker stalls, and the Bistro of Huber’s Butchery (throughout 2023). However, for the first time since its approval three and a half years ago, cultivated meat will be available for customers to buy and cook at home. GOOD Meat 3 is said to be a lower-cost formulation using just 3% cultivated chicken that offers the same “delicious” taste, texture, and experience as conventional chicken. It will be available for the remainder of …

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Coral's fish fillet on a plate

Microalgae / mycelium fish fillet © Koralo
Market & Trends

Can Microalgae-Based Food Become a Trend? Pioneering Study Reveals Consumer Insights

While microalgae present a promising alternative protein source with an excellent amino acid profile, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and potential sustainability benefits such as reduced land use, it remains uncertain whether consumers will embrace them. Research on the acceptance of microalgae has only recently emerged, with most of these studies so far originating from Europe, where there is relatively minimal consumption of microalgae. However, Dr Bianca Wassmann and her team from the Singapore-ETH Centre’s Urban Microalgae Protein Production project have recently conducted a survey regarding microalgae-based food in Singapore.  The study aimed to understand consumers’ attitudes before product development — with one of the goals being to create a food product for Singapore — to ensure that final products made with microalgae are appealing (taste, …

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The SFA recently issued a new draft, the Food Safety and Security Bill (FSSB) on novel food and pre-market approval.

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Singapore Proposes Revision of Novel Food Approvals with New “Defined Food” Category

The Singapore Food Agency (FSA) and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) recently issued a new draft, the Food Safety and Security Bill (FSSB), proposing a new category, “Defined Food,” and new requirements for pre-market approval of these foods or ingredients. Under the FSSB, novel foods would be considered a sub-category of “Defined Food,” along with genetically modified (GM) foods, and insect-like species, all subject already to pre-market approval but will need to meet additional regulatory requirements before being imported or sold in the country. According to the document, “Defined Food” includes food that consists of or contains novel or genetically modified ingredients that have not received pre-market approval, as well as any insect-like species that are not cataloged as such. The bill, open for public comments until next …

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TurtleTree has secured its first commercial partnership with Cadence Performance Coffee, a company dedicated to enhancing overall human performance.

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Fermentation

TurtleTree’s Animal-Free Lactoferrin in Functional Espresso Marks First Commercial Partnership

Singaporean precision fermentation company TurtleTree announces it has secured its first commercial partnership with the US company Cadence Cold Brew to launch a functional espresso under the brand Cadence Performance Coffee. The companies have teamed up to introduce this innovative espresso shot range designed to improve athletic performance, featuring TurtleTree’s LF+ — the world’s first animal-free lactoferrin.   The LF+ espresso shot will offer athletes a convenient way to access the benefits of lactoferrin, which supports iron regulation, immune function, and gut health. Moreover, the LF+ can help counteract the negative effects of caffeine on zinc and iron absorption, ensuring that the body still gets access to these important nutrients, explains the biotech. This partnership comes only six months after TurtleTree obtained its self-GRAS status (generally …

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Sandhya Sriram on Future of Foods podcast

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Cultivated Seafood

Future of Foods Podcast: Sandhya Sriram, Co-Founder, Shiok Meats

Alex Crisp of the Future of Foods podcast here interviews Sandhya Sriram, co-founder of Shiok Meats. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Singapore, Shiok Meats specializes in cell-cultivated shrimp, crab, and lobster, aiming to address the environmental and ethical concerns associated with traditional seafood harvesting. In March of this year, it was announced that Shiok has merged with UMAMI Bioworks, also of Singapore, to establish a combined entity that will bring cultivated seafood closer to commercial viability. In the full podcast, they discuss: regulatory approvals for cultivated meat; promotion of meat-free events; political dynamics and meat consumption; challenges for politicians and entrepreneurs; supportive environment in Singapore; business strategy and government support; resistance from traditional farmers; and collaboration between traditional and cultivated meat producers. This is …

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Researchers from Singapore have successfully developed a promising cultivated meat prototype  by co-culturing porcine muscle and fat cells in a decellularised asparagus scaffold.

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Researchers Develop Promising Cultivated Meat Prototype Using Decellularised Asparagus Scaffold

Researchers from Singapore have successfully developed a promising cultivated meat prototype by co-culturing porcine muscle and fat cells in a decellularised asparagus scaffold. The prototype development was part of a study aiming to expand the use of decellularized plant scaffolds beyond regenerative medicine, specifically for cultivated meat production. According to the researchers, this prototype closely mimics conventional meat in texture and flavor and could pave the way for large-scale cultivated meat biomanufacturing. Plant-based edible scaffolds offer essential physical and biological support for tissue development, enabling more complex cultivated meat products with structure and volume. Still, the plant cells of these scaffolds need to be removed in a lengthy process called decellularisation to preserve only the microstructure that mimics the extracellular matrix (the natural structure of animal tissue). The …

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tHEMEat upcycles vegetable waste into a vegan version of the protein heme to boost meaty flavors in plant-based alternatives.

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Ingredients

tHEMEat: Vegan Heme From Vegetable Waste to “Beef” the Flavor of Plant-Based Meat

While many manufacturers use precision fermentation-derived proteins or processed food additives to enhance the flavor of plant-based alternatives, the Singaporean company tHEMEat offers an innovative option: extracting the flavors locked within vegetables to “beef” their taste. Co-founded by Max Tham and joined by a team from the National University of Singapore, tHEMEat upcycles vegetable waste into a vegan version of the heme protein. Naturally occurring in animal flesh, heme is an iron-containing molecule that plays an essential role in creating the rich flavor of meat, a more intense scent, and taste. Challenged by the flavor gap between animal and plant-based meat, tHEMEat developed a proprietary tech for extracting and synthesizing flavors from different feedstocks and a unique formulation for adding species-specific flavors. The result is VEME, …

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Cultivated Fish Burger from Avant

Cultivated fish burger © Avant
Cultivated Seafood

Avant Meats to Expand Cultivated Fish Production Significantly by 2025, Following Successful Pilot Production

China’s first cultivated and seafood startup, Avant Meats, is set to expand its manufacturing capacity from 250 to 2000 L bioreactors at its pilot plant in Singapore by 2025, CEO and co-founder Carrie Chan said in an interview with the South China Morning Post. Chan, who expressed confidence in Avant Meats’ end-to-end platform for cultivated fish products, said the company aims to raise new capital for its ambitious expansion plans later this year. Already running the first pilot scale batches in 50 and 250 L, Avant has obtained many kilograms of cultivated fish per batch to create prototypes (fish maw and fillet) and send samples to potential customers. The data gathered from these pilot runs will serve as valuable information for the company’s larger-scale plans, …

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The Protein Brewery's flagship mycelium ingredient has received novel food approval in Singapore.

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

The Protein Brewery Receives Novel Food Regulatory Approval for Mycelium Protein in Singapore

Dutch fermentation specialist The Protein Brewery announces it has received regulatory approval from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for its flagship mycelium-derived ingredient Fermotein. The approval will enable the company to import, manufacture, and sell Fermotien or products containing it while expanding its operations in the country. Singapore has emerged as a hub for alternative proteins since the SFA set ambitious targets to produce 30% of the nation’s nutritional needs locally by 2030. As part of this strategy, the country seeks to incorporate safe, novel foods and ingredients that promise nutritional and sustainable benefits. The Finish biotech Solar Foods has also received approval in Singapore, where it recently debuted a chocolate bar made with an air-based protein called Solein. CEO Sue Garfitt comments: “The Protein Brewery …

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KARANA jackfruit expands into retail in singapore, debuts at plantega in NYC

Image courtesy of KARANA
Studies & Numbers

Multiethnic Asian Survey Reveals Consumer Preference for Plant-Based Proteins Over Cultivated Meat and Insect-Based Products

A unique multiethnic Asian population survey supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Fund Tier 1, exploring consumer acceptance of alternative proteins, shows that participants are most willing to consume plant-based meat, over cultivated meat and insect-based products. Conducted among 1,224 adult Singaporean citizens — 75% Chinese, 15% Indian, and 10% Malay participants — the research delves into the drivers and barriers to consuming alternative protein foods to shed light on ways to promote more sustainable diets. Through an online survey, researchers identified various factors influencing alternative protein food consumption, including familiarity and acceptance, attitudinal factors such as food neophobia, drug residue concerns, zoonotic diseases,  food curiosity, “unnaturalness,” and distrust in gene technology, and lastly, willingness to pay for these alternatives. Plant-based leads the way The …

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UMAMI Bioworks and Shiok Meats, have merged to establish a combined entity that will bring cultivated seafood closer to commercial viability.

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Company News

UMAMI Bioworks & Shiok Meats Merge to Commercialize Cultivated Seafood

Two cultivated seafood pioneers from Singapore — UMAMI Bioworks and Shiok Meats — have merged to establish a combined entity that will bring cultivated seafood closer to commercial viability. The strategic merge, believed to be the first in the cultivated seafood space, will leverage UMAMI Bioworks’ advanced production technologies with Shiok Meats’ research in crustacean cell cultivation. By combining their expertise, the companies expect to enhance go-to-market efficiencies, expand commercial opportunities, and accelerate regulatory approvals to introduce cultivated seafood products in the region while providing a production alternative to industrial fishing and aquaculture. Mihir Pershad, the CEO of UMAMI Bioworks, will lead the new company as CEO. He will be supported by global seafood investment leaders Hatch Blue and Aqua-Spark, who will join the company’s …

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