If you have been living in Singapore for a while, you would know that food security is a battle for the small city-state on so many fronts. Over 90% of its food needs are fulfilled by imports and only 1% of land is available for growing food. The pandemic further pressed the need for working on food security and that resulted in the Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) “three food baskets” initiative that focuses on adding diversity to maintaining a steady food supply.
Not only this, the growth of the food tech industry in Singapore has been the topic of focus in the business community with newer companies relying on technology to produce sustainable and long-lasting food sources at a rapid pace.
According to recent reports, Singapore is emerging as a leader in the alternative food sources industry with primary focus on cultured food brands. Cultivated meats including red meat and seafood options are actively being worked on. This is set to provide an alternative stream of food sources that are antibiotic free, healthy, and nutritious and possibly the solution to world hunger and animal borne illnesses.
Singapore Food Festival 2022 - A Shift Towards Food Tech Brands!
During this year’s edition of the Singapore Food Festival, a new addition piqued the interest of attendees and business owners. A sustainable food technology week was introduced in the festival with the help of Feed9B. Feed9B is a local open platform that promotes sustainability through collaboration.
Feed9B gathered over 14 local food brands in the food innovation and sustainability sector and 11 local restaurants to showcase recipes made from alternative food sources such as plant-based beef, world’s first soy alcoholic beverage and poultry grown from local food tech companies. Consumers were introduced to these innovative food options and manufacturers were able to gather key insights that will enable them to improve their products based on consumer preferences in the future
Through this initiative Feed9B aims to aid Singapore in accounting for 30% of its food needs by 2030. The restaurant week was designed to promote the consumption of alternative protein and to encourage citizens to minimise food waste and opt for more responsible eating habits.
Cultivated Food Brands - The Future of Food Tech and Solution to World Hunger
Over 800 million people in the world sleep hungry every day due to the unavailability of food. The COVID-19 pandemic and the disruptions faced in steady food supplies have made it clear that Singapore needs to achieve food independence sooner rather than later. Cultivated food products may well be a possible solution to this problem for not only Singapore but the entire world.
During the food technology restaurant week, Feed9B also featured three local and one Israeli cultivated food brands. These brands are currently in the process of approval through regulatory authorities and will soon hit the markets when approved.
These brands include:
Aleph Farms
Aleph Farms is an Israeli cultivated food brand that focuses on growing cultivated beef steaks. These are samples isolated from real cows and not modified at all. It aims to provide sustainable food options for people anytime and anywhere.
Avant Meats
Avant Meats is the first cultivated fish company in Asia and the first cultivated meat company in China. Avant has evolved their process to a point where they are able to deliver economically sound marine protein options at a large scale. The award-winning company has a very strong footprint in the Greater China and Asia regions.
Shiok Meats
The world’s first cultivated crustacean meat company, Shiok Meats is also South Asia’s first cultivated seafood brand. Shiok stays true to the meaning of its name which is delicious and premium. They bring premium alternative protein options to the table for Singaporeans.
Umami Meats
Umami Meats maintains its focus on specialised cultivated seafood products owing to the predicted shortage of these products in the natural habitat due to climate and environment change. They focus on cultivating endangered species so as to minimise their consumption from the natural habitat.
Food tech and the introduction of sustainable practices is sure to play a vital role in solving the food supply issue. This holds true not only for Singapore but for the rest of the world as well. Any practice that increases the possibility of reducing environmental impact and increasing food production in a sustainable manner count. Feed9B is doing its part to support the food sustainability initiative through promoting collaborations between these brands, consumers and research entities.
w. www.feed9b.asia