SINGAPORE is investing heavily in alternative proteins in a bid to become a world leader – but its status as a global hub, especially for manufacturing, may be threatened as other countries catch up.

Alternative proteins do not involve the slaughter of animals; they may be plant-based, fermented using microbes, or cultivated from animal cells.

In Singapore, investments in such proteins multiplied to US$169.8 million by 2022, from just US$5.9 million in 2019, according to think tank Good Food Institute (GFI). This was part of the US$562 million Asia-Pacific total in 2022, up from US$42 million in 2019.