Insect-based foods, Singapore-grown meat, hybrid innovation and more
‘Very cheap’: Affordability trumps protein and sustainability as key driving factor for insect-based foods in Asia-Pacific
Affordability is emerging as the main driving factor for insect-based foods in the Asia-Pacific region, perhaps more important than the often-lauded protein or sustainability factors.
That’s the view of founder and CEO of Vietnam-based insect protein company FlyFeed, Arseny Olkovsky, who believes food and beverage manufacturers can meet consumer demands for high-quality protein with their own pricing priorities by using insect protein.
Meatable says costs have come down and production has improved as it aims to introduce competitively priced cultivated meat in Singapore
Netherlands-based food technology company Meatable says it has been able to cut costs and increase production efficiency for its cultured meat products, which is set to launch in Singapore by next year.
Founded in 2018, Meatable has raised $35 million in a recent funding round, bringing its total funding to $95 million, which will be used to scale production and accelerate commercialization.
In September, the company held its first-ever media trial in Singapore, marking an important step towards gaining full regulatory approval for sales in the island nation.
Having it both ways: Creating a “middle path” to innovate premium, affordable food and beverage products
The dual rise in consumer demands for the somewhat contradictory mix of premiumization and affordability in food and beverages has led companies to find variations of the “middle path” when it comes to innovation.
Amid a backdrop of inflationary pressures, rising prices and geopolitical instability, consumers around the world and especially in the Asia-Pacific region are looking for affordable options when purchasing food and groceries.
But at the same time, there is still a significant reluctance to completely give up a few luxuries, leading to high demand for concessions as well – including in the relatively new field of alternative proteins.
Time to add value: Can Australia and New Zealand seriously compete in the alternative protein space?
Australia and New Zealand lag behind when it comes to innovation and progress in the alternative protein space, with capital and marketing challenges holding the sector back.
While Australia and New Zealand are among the world’s largest agricultural producers, alternative protein producers in these countries largely rely on importing high-value inputs, such as protein concentrates for plant-based meats.
According to the Food Frontier Research Centre, the challenge is to create higher-value ingredients, rather than import them.
PRECISE BASIC FOODS: Chinese company MOODLES believes that 3D printing of staple foods with micronutrients is the way forward
Chinese food 3D printing company MOODLES believes this technology needs to be efficiently integrated into the production of nutrient-rich personal staple foods that consumers will eat daily if the sector is to grow locally.
Although 3D printed foods have been touted for several years as the way forward for precision nutrition and food personalization, many companies looking to specialize in this area have faced significant barriers in terms of technology, pricing and order volume, including in China.
Moodles believes that the only way to overcome this hurdle is to focus on using 3D printing technology to produce highly nutritious staple foods such as rice and pasta, products that local consumers are already accustomed to and will easily accept as part of their diets on a daily basis. .
(tags for translation) Markets
