Chemical Giant set up an application laboratory at Singapore Poly to develop functional food

21 Jan 2017

Lianhe Zaobao, 6 Jan 2017 - Article featured the collaboration between SP and chemicals giant BASF to set up Newtrition Lab Asia Pacific at SP campus. The lab provides opportunities for students to develop functional food. This is the first application laboratory set up by BASF in a tertiary institution in Singapore. Third-year students from the Diploma in Food Science & Technology and Diploma in Nutrition Health & Wellness will have the opportunity to work in this laboratory as part of their internship programme and work on real-life projects under the mentorship of the BASF experts. SP and BASF also signed a five-year memorandum of cooperation to train food nutrition and health professionals to meet the growing demands of the food manufacturing and functional food industry. Besides the internship opportunities, BASF will also co-develop modules with SP as well as provide scholarships for students for further development. SP’s Principal and Chief Executive Officer Soh Wai Wah shared that the collaboration is timely, given the announcement of the industry transformation map for food manufacturing industry in November 2016. SP’s Diploma in Food Science and Technology third-year student Vernice Seah, who had been on internship programme with BASF since October 2016, shared about her internship experience. Under the mentorship of the BASF researcher, she developed new techniques to enhance the clarity of a popular beverage – coconut water, and at the same time minimise the heating processes required to enhance the nutritional values of the beverage. She also shared how the analytical tools in the laboratory and the mentorship helped her to gain experience beyond what she has learnt in her course. The internship has also reinforced her confidence and passion to work in the food-related industry.