No roaming cattle but with high-tech labs, could Singapore be a ‘meat’ exporter?

13 Feb 2021

Article explored the rise of lab-grown meat or alternative protein companies in Singapore. David Chai, Acting Director of SP’s Food Innovation & Resource Centre (FIRC) shared that the centre has run 10 plant-based protein projects so far. Half of them sprung up in the past 12 months, a testament to the increasing attention businesses are giving to alternative proteins. The facility also helped Eat Just to manufacture its cell-based chicken nuggets. FIRC has mostly been contracted by local food manufacturers currently selling traditional meat. Some are also looking to blend plant-based proteins with their meat products, and a few are start-ups looking to test their concepts. This plant-based protein work now makes up between 5 and 10 per cent of the centre’s portfolio, and FIRC expects the ratio to go up, especially after it procures an extruder - a machine that turns plant proteins into meat-like structures - by the end of this year.

[CNA]