Singapore’s new shared plant for small-batch food manufacturing worth USD 13 million called ‘FoodPlant’ has opened doors for local companies to be better positioned for food innovation.
FoodPlant's Senoko Drive facility covers a 1,107 sq m area and offers a pay-per-use service to companies to assess products in small batches, saving them from investing large initial capital for quality food production.
This latest facility, which was jointly unveiled by Enterprise Singapore (Enterprise SG), JTC Corporation, and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and certified by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), is intended to profit at least 200 food manufacturers and support the creation of over 400 new food products by 2026.
The launch of SIT's subsidiary was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has now sprung to execution after four years of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the three organizations.
Deputy Prime Minister, Heng Swee Keat, who attended the grand opening, praised Singapore's endeavors toward food security and encouraged other companies to follow suit in order to develop their food capabilities.
According to sources, FoodPlant has a retort machine that sterilizes food and extends its shelf life under ambient temperatures, as well as a twin-screw extruder that uses high moisture extrusion technology to texturize plant-based proteins to make meat substitutes.
It is worth noting that nearly 20 members, including small & medium-sized businesses and multinational corporations, have registered to use this facility to date.
Individuals and businesses interested in renting the equipment at FoodPlant can do so for between USD 700 and USD 1,100 per day, with members receiving a discount on the services.
Notably, FoodPlant and SIT collaborated with a nascent food processing facility, Foodbowl New Zealand, in an effort to meet the rising consumer demand for alternative meat and promote sustainable food technology.
Source credit: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/new-13m-shared-facility-for-small-batch-food-production-gives-boost-to-local-food-innovation