Flavor/fragrance company Givaudan and food processing company Bühler, announced this week they have opened the doors on their APAC Protein Innovation Centre at the existing Givaudan Woodlands site in Singapore. The facility will serve as a place to develop plant-based protein tailored to Asian consumers tastes and preferences.
The goal is to bring together food processing companies, startups and researchers to develop more and better ways to produce alternative proteins. The Centre includes Bühle’s extrusion and processing equipment and a kitchen and flavor laboratory by Givaudan. The two Switzerland-based companies said that initially the facility will be able to produce 40 kilograms of plant proteins per hour.
The space includes a wet and dry extruder, a product development kitchen, storage facilities, and a viewing area where visitors to the Centre can watch live demonstrations.
Givaudan and food processing company Bühler first announced the Centre back in February of 2020. Much has happened since then, and I’m not just talking about the pandemic. Over the last year or so, alternative protein companies from around world have flocked to Singapore to establish various innovation and R&D centers. That list now includes Perfect Day, Oatly, ADM, Avant Meats, and Eat Just.
Singapore is currently trying to make more of its food production local. Currently, about 90 percent of the city-state’s food is imported. The government has set up the 30×30 initiative, which aims to produce 30 percent of Singapore’s food locally by 2030. These factors make Singapore an especially innovation-friendly environment when it comes to the development and regulation of alternative proteins.
Givaudan and Bühler’s new facility will specifically focus on helping companies from the APAC region develop and scale their alternative protein solutions.
