Sustainable nutrition development company Nurasa announced the opening of its Food Tech Innovation Centre (FTIC) in Singapore.
A wholly owned company of investment firm Temasek, Nurasa said the FTIC is a 3,840 sqm food-grade facility possessing high-tech laboratories with advanced capabilities in precision fermentation (PF) and food processing. Nurasa said the FTIC’s PF lab includes bioreactors that have production capacities of up to 100 litres, allowing companies to produce at a greater scale beyond developmental capacities.
Precision fermentation is a process combining traditional fermentation with the latest biotechnology to efficiently produce novel food materials such as dairy proteins or fats.
Australian firm Nourish Ingredients – whose Singapore Product Development Centre operates out of the FTIC – was present at the facility’s launch, showcasing a plant-based chicken satay that was enhanced with its precision fermentation created natural fat ingredient, Tastilux. Nourish said it worked with Cremer Sustainable Foods, a joint venture between Nurasa and German agrifood multinational Cremer, to create the dish.
Nourish announced late last year that it had selected Singapore as its APAC production hub, where it would work with Nurasa joint venture company ScaleUp Bio. The company is in the process of applying for regulatory approval with the Singapore Food Agency for Tastilux to be sold to consumers.
Nourish noted in a past interview with Future Alternative that Singapore’s status as the only country with commercial availability for all alt protein categories — plant-based, fermentation-enabled, and cultivated – made it the ideal choice for developing its products. The company debuted Tastilux’s new sister product ‘Creamilux’ earlier this year.
Nurasa said the FTIC is designed to sustain and amplify the impact of innovation and new breakthroughs to strengthen food security. It said its ecosystem comprises industry partners, portfolio companies, and joint ventures like ScaleUp Bio and Cremer.
Nurasa added that with the support of the FTIC, Cremer can now produce its plant-based alternative proteins in a 1,000 sqm facility that has a production capacity of 1,300 tonnes per annum.
The Centre will also serve as a hub for Nurasa’s NuFood Concept Studio, which will allow corporations and start-ups like Nourish to scout out the latest ingredients, co-create recipes based on latest technologies and market insights, and ideate on sustainable food solutions.
Guo Xiuling, Chief Executive Officer at Nurasa, said, “At the Food Tech Innovation Centre, cutting-edge technology is at the heart of everything we do. Our facility enables us to challenge the status quo of the existing food system and develop solutions alongside our startup and corporate partners. Our mission is simple yet profound: to enable accessible, appealing, affordable sustainable nutrition solutions for the everyday person.”
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