Two Swiss firms set up protein innovation centre in Singapore
Singapore
TWO Swiss multinationals - fragrance maker Givaudan and processing and manufacturing firm Buhler - have set up a new protein innovation centre in Singapore.
The 400 square-metre facility in Woodlands, which was completed last month and officially launched on Monday, is where businesses can develop their ideas on plant-based protein alternatives into commercial and large-scale products for the mass market. It has the capacity to produce up to 40kg of plant proteins per hour.
Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan, who attended the launch ceremony, hailed the collaboration as a "boost to the alternative protein industry".
"As a land-scarce nation, Singapore is in a unique position to look towards technology and meat alternatives to bolster its food security," he said in a speech, adding that this is one of the government's key pillars for the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
Givaudan, a maker of flavours and fragrances, will work with Buhler to incorporate flavours enjoyed by consumers in the region into plant proteins, with the goal to mimic flavours in animal meat as closely as possible.
Monila Kothari, president for the Asia-Pacific at Givaudan's taste and well-being division, said the aim, through the protein innovation centre, is to create an eco-system that supports start-ups and food businesses in an environment of co-creation.
"The centre will provide companies access to the expertise, networks and technology required to create authentic plant-based protein alternatives that meet consumer needs and expectations," she said.
Alex Ward, the company's head of regional innovation, said the new facility will help startups build a pipeline of new products and provide credibility to the products they develop.
He said the centre will give startups "access to a global network of experts which they cannot get in the one country they are usually based in".
Ian Roberts, chief technology officer at Buhler, said: "The centre will not only enable the development of more plant-based protein products across Asia, it will also ensure delicious products can be scaled to the production volumes required to create a positive environmental impact on our food chains."
