FHA 2022 : Singapore’s Food Industry Outlook

September 06, 2022

Joining the honourable panel consisting of Dr. Andrew Powell (CEO, Asia BioBusiness), Ms. Chong Nyet Chin (Director, Food Safety & Quality, NTUC FairPrice Co-operative) and Ms. Jiang Yi Fan (Associate Director, Science & Regulatory Affairs, Food Industry Asia), Ms. Evelyn Ong (Centre Director, FIRC) and the panel shared and discussed on the topic of Singapore’s current food industry outlook. The session took place on the first day of Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) 2022 in the Halal Theatre. The panel had an interesting discussion on the vibrant innovation ecosystem, evolving food security and regulatory, as well as current consumer trends in Singapore.

Ms. Evelyn Ong shared about the importance of innovation from both the country and local enterprise standpoints and the roles played by government agencies and industry especially in driving Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ food security goal. She reminded that enterprises need to be deliberate in their innovation effort but it need not be a lonely journey as they can leverage on the right partners in the ecosystem, such as FIRC.  When asked on how FIRC helps SMEs in their innovation journey during the Q&A session, Ms. Evelyn cited Jumain Sataysfaction, a halal certified satay producer, who has participated in the Meatless Meat Challenge 2022 jointly organised by Enterprise Singapore, Singapore Food Manufacturer’s Association (SFMA) and FIRC. She shared about the innovative spirit of the company in seizing the opportunity of alternative protein food trend to develop plant-based satay. Instead of seeing it as a threat to their meat products, Jumain Sataysfaction intend to expand their product range to include plant-based options, which will better serve the needs of the rising flexitarians. To top it off, under the mentorship of FIRC, the student team of Jumain Sataysfaction has emerged as the winner of the Product Innovation Award.