TECH NEEDS

Pest and disease and climate change pose a major threat to future cocoa production. Up to 40% of the annual global cocoa harvest is lost to pest and disease and climate change will exacerbate losses by exposing trees to more frequent climate extremes and new pests and diseases. These losses mean not only a loss of revenue from lower yields but wasted inputs such as irrigation, fertiliser and labour. Traditional methods of monitoring crops in terms of both health and yield rely on manual labour. In the case of cocoa, in-season monitoring of yield is based on regular, manual counting of pods at different stages of maturity. Similarly, field scouting is used to monitor pests and disease. These methods are not only costly but also prone to human error. Crop health monitoring and pod counting solutions that enable continuous, real-time, in-season tracking could allow for more accurate monitoring and measurement with fewer labour resources.  Digital collection of data would also enable long-term records to be developed to better understand yield challenges to cocoa in a changing climate.     

A spent hen is a commercial layer chicken that has over peaked its optimal egg-laying potential. When hens reached the end of their economically viable life, they are usually converted into meat products. However, the meat has a high amounts of heat-stable collagen content, leading to a tough texture, and high insoluble protein and tissues that are difficult to process by conventional heat treatment. The company is keen to explore different technological solutions that can tenderise the meat, with minimal nutrient loss and a short production time of less than 1 hour.

As well as creating new well-being snacks, we also focus on improving the nutrition and ingredients of the global brands and local jewels already in our broad portfolio. In essence, this is about reducing or removing what people don’t want and adding more of what they do. Snacking has always had a role in people’s lives, but that role is expanding and evolving as they become busier than ever (at home or on the go), as the definition of snacking continues to expand, and as people become more conscious of the overall well-being of self and planet. Moreover, people increasingly want to feel good about the snacks they eat – knowing that they not only taste delicious but also mindful of the implications to mind, body, and planet. We want to help consumers easily enjoy the right snacks throughout their day and inspire them to snack mindfully so they can savor and feel good about each and every snack. As a part of this effort, we are always looking for ingredient solutions that consumers expect, understand and are familiar with; that are authentic, natural and minimally processed; and are free from additives or preservatives.

Good agricultural practices form part of the armoury against pests and diseases which reduce yield losses by promoting healthy crop growth and improved tolerance of stress including attack from pest and diseases. For example, optimising the soil microbiome has been shown to increase the nitrogen fixing capability of microbes found in the root system of some crop species. There are also other natural approaches currently available that can successfully control diseases and pests. For example, endophytic Trichoderma martiale strain ALF 247 is used to control black-pod rot in cocoa, although in many cases further development is required to provide economically viable methods for biocontrol at scale. Another example of a natural approach that has been successfully brought to market is the production of peanuts with a reduced level of aflatoxin through the application of a competitive strain of A. flavus. This strain is not capable of making the aflatoxin and out-competes the toxin-producing strains naturally present, thereby lowering levels to 3% of what it would otherwise be in shelled, edible-grade peanuts. In many cases, it is thought that this natural pesticide has sufficient efficacy but with the added advantage of much lower levels of detrimental side effects compared to the standard synthetic chemicals. Chemical fertilisers, particularly nitrogen, are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions both in the production phase and on-farm. To sustainably increase yield, there is a need to improve efficiencies of nutrient use, reduce losses and ideally identify low carbon nutrient sources. The company is seeking sustainable methods that can reduce the amount of agrochemicals being used, and/or its environmental impact.

The company is looking for clean label, plant-based ingredients with authentic credentials on taste, texture and appearance (for example - fruit and vegetables, grains and seeds legumes, beans, roots, super fruits). They believed that plant-based ingredient has huge opportunities to be unlocked from nature’s pure, goodness that can give pleasureable taste and maximum health value.  We are interested in Ingredients that are plant-based or plant-derived, or sustainable and/ or are upcycled & have a positive impact on the environment Technologies that help preserve the wholesome, natural benefits of these ingredients

The company offers a broad range of delicious, high-quality snacks – from indulgent bites to wholesome bars. This is to ensure their variety offered keeps satisfying the diverse needs of millions of consumers around the world. In recent years, more emphasis has been placed on well-being, which involves a broader, more holistic approach on one's emotional and functional needs. Therefore the need need for continuous innovation, renovation and extension of their range of snacks to satisfy consumers’ current and changing well-being needs. They are keen to explore new ingredient technologies across different wellbeing dimensions that can contribute to the overall physical and mental health of their consumers. Ingredients that can support fortification, functionality or positive nutritional benefits are of interest.

The key requirement is to meet consumer expectations for taste and texture in sugar reduced snacks with (ideally) natural ingredients.​ ​ What we are looking for are natural alternatives to substitute sugar (including sweetening systems as sugar/hybrid sugar + artificial high intensity), to create an end product as close as possible to the sensorial profile and functionality of the standard product made with sugar.

In Singapore, each person consumes an average 22 kg of seafood per year and imported 134,000 tonnes of seafood in 2020. As a seafood-loving nation, a report by WWF revealed that 75% of consumed seafood in Singapore is unsustainable and this challenged the seafood fishing and farming ecosystem. Cultivating seafood is an alternative method to meet our seafood consumptions demands. Cultured seafood is actual seafood produced in vitro cell cultures of animal cells. It replicates the sensory and nutritional profile of conventional seafood. The current method of producing cultured seafood involves the use of animal-derived Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS). FBS is the liquid fraction harvested from the blood of cow fetuses. The use of FBS is a concern due to its ethical restraint and food safety along with its high usage cost.  As such, we are looking for low-cost plant-based cell culture media for seafood cultivation. 

A multinational F&B company is looking for solutions to be able to effectively decant confectionary fluids from road tankers. The company transports vast quantities of fluids throughout its global network in road tankers. These are usually either fat-based fluids, non-Newtonian fluids and/or high viscous fluids. Some of these materials are produced internally, some are procured from external sources.  If not decanted completely, these residual fluids still left in the tanker are needlessly transported around the network and often lead to excess raw materials costs. Typically, these losses during transport range between ~0.5% to 1 wt%. This is not acceptable to the company from a sustainability and a cost point of view, and they are keen to explore an industry-wide solution that enables emptying of tankers more effectively.