Plant-based meats might be an older innovation in the realm of food sustainability research, but that doesn’t mean scientists have stopped dabbling with the cutting edge. We visited Nurasa Food Tech Innovation Centre to learn about modern innovations for developing plant-based proteins.
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00:00Look at the spread of the food!
00:03It's all plant-based.
00:05Can you believe it?
00:07Because the population is growing,
00:10the need for protein will always be there.
00:14So how are we going to get the protein?
00:15It cannot be through normal animal sources anymore.
00:19So who's going to fill that gap?
00:21We want to create sustainable nutrition for the world.
00:24Food is everyone's business.
00:27In this series,
00:28we'll explore how innovative technologies
00:31and local initiatives are rethinking
00:33the way we produce and consume food.
00:37Welcome to Future Food,
00:39where we explore the food production of tomorrow.
00:45In this episode,
00:46we'll take you behind the scenes
00:48to see how healthier food options are being created,
00:51enhancing food security and nutrition in Singapore.
00:55Today, my search has brought me
00:57to Neurasa's Food Tech Innovation Centre.
01:01Thanks, Yilin, for inviting us today
01:03to have the Neurasa experience.
01:05Welcome, Yilin.
01:06It is really our pleasure to have you here.
01:08Neurasa actually is quite a new company.
01:11We launched in 2021,
01:12but with a big mission for the long term
01:15and also an ambitious goal
01:18in terms of how to help Asia's sustainable food.
01:22So how did Neurasa come up with the idea
01:24of creating holistic nutrition?
01:27We have formed this collaborative community
01:32for like-minded innovators, scientists,
01:35researchers, consumer-focused companies
01:38to create an ecosystem
01:41that allows us to bring the idea
01:43to the consumer table quicker and faster.
01:46So it's nutrition of the head, heart and body.
01:49Yes.
01:49That was legitimate.
01:51So what trends are you seeing
01:52in the nutritional needs of Singaporeans?
01:54And how is Neurasa uniquely positioned
01:57to meet those trends?
01:58In the Singapore markets,
02:00already indicated a high interest
02:03for people looking for sustainable, nutritious,
02:06healthy, but conveniently produced
02:07and packed food for them.
02:08We really want to take this opportunity,
02:12make sure that consumer will have access
02:16to affordable and better for you and yummy food.
02:21Hi, everyone.
02:21So I've got some special friends with me today
02:24because good things must share.
02:26So I have David here with me.
02:27He's the head of innovation delivery at Neurasa.
02:30And we have a special guest.
02:34By now, you may think I'm the brains behind the show,
02:36but really there's someone working really hard
02:38behind the scenes.
02:39She's our director and producer, Angel.
02:42I'm here in front of the screen.
02:44The food has brought me here.
02:45So shall we have a taste test?
02:48Yes.
02:49And what you have in front of you
02:51is exactly the same dish on our official opening
02:54that was presented to VPN Mr. Heng.
02:57I feel very honoured.
02:58Yeah.
02:59I feel like eating everything now.
03:00Yeah.
03:01Yes.
03:01So let's dig in from the congee first.
03:05Oh.
03:07It looks like mushrooms, but actually it's not, right?
03:11It's...
03:11I shall not spill the beans out of the bag.
03:14All right.
03:17Okay, it tears like meat.
03:18So I'm guessing like it's meat.
03:20Mmm.
03:21It's so yummy.
03:23Tastes like duck, but like...
03:25It's got a lot of mala.
03:26Got a bit of mala taste.
03:28Mmm.
03:29Spot on.
03:30You got it right.
03:31It's mala duck.
03:32So this is using a high-moisture extrusion
03:35whereby it mimics the fibrous texture of the bean.
03:39So it's made mainly using soy...
03:42Soy protein.
03:44Yeah.
03:44And with that,
03:45the consumer will be able to get their protein intake
03:49at a really sustainable angle.
03:51It's great that I don't really taste the soy at all.
03:54So when it tears open, I thought that it really was like meat.
03:59I will eat this instead of duck
04:00because duck is sometimes way too chewy.
04:02I find it very hard to bite through.
04:05I think this will solve my cognitive dissonance
04:08because I love duck on the plate,
04:10but also I think they're very cute.
04:12So now I don't have to have that morality issue.
04:15I can just eat...
04:16Shall we progress to the next dish?
04:18Yes!
04:18From malalalala to burrito!
04:21Very chicken-y.
04:22Smells like a fast-food joint that I cannot say.
04:25Mmm!
04:26That is really good.
04:28It's um...
04:29Yeah, it's chicken.
04:31Your louse?
04:31Mm-hmm.
04:32But you also get louse in the sauce.
04:34So the flavouring and this is how we are benchmarking
04:37some of the products that resonate with our consumers.
04:40Can I make this from tofu at home though?
04:43No, you'll not be able to
04:45because tofu is generally soft in texture.
04:48You're not able to get the shape,
04:50the size of this piece that fits into the pitang bread.
04:54So everything is really customised.
04:57It's such a great food to eat on set.
04:59So if this is affordable
05:01and within budget of production,
05:02I will definitely get it.
05:03Uh, crew, are you recording this?
05:06Are we ready to travel to another part of the world?
05:08Yes, Japan!
05:10Yes!
05:11And that is katsu curry don.
05:14Oh, it's so layered.
05:16Look at this!
05:17Look, can you see?
05:18It's like layered.
05:20Like real chicken thigh.
05:22This machine behind me
05:24enables products to be made
05:26from chicken strips like this
05:28to deep-fried coated chicken patty like this
05:31which consumers can relate to.
05:33So with the batter, it looks...
05:35It looks better?
05:37Yes, it looks better with the batter.
05:40Mmm!
05:42The rating just gets higher and higher.
05:44I would say this is a 9.5 out of 10
05:47for, I mean, the score in terms of
05:51being close to what it is.
05:52But they were all 10 out of 10 in taste.
05:55Well, what you have tasted today
05:56is also part of our innovation prize
05:59to achieve towards something that is palatable
06:03and also something that can easily replace food
06:06with sustainable food.
06:07So from Japan,
06:08I'm going to reel you back to Singapore.
06:11Can you guess what dish is this?
06:13Sotong!
06:14It's nasi lemak!
06:16Sotong nasi lemak?
06:18That's blue pea rice.
06:19Yes, I know.
06:21This is such a beautiful display of colours.
06:24Just visually, it's so attractive.
06:27I'm poking it and it actually feels like sotong.
06:30It is sotong.
06:31No, it's not! It's not this!
06:35It's springy.
06:36Mmm!
06:37Would local vendors be able to get, say, meat like that
06:41at the same price that they're getting
06:43like real sotong or real chicken?
06:46For sure, if you get the real sotong,
06:48it would be definitely more expensive
06:50because anything that's considered as seafood,
06:52there's always a premium over it.
06:55And this is where we make it price-targeted,
06:57where local consumers can just go in
07:00and get the experience of having a calamari
07:03into a sambal sotong.
07:05So if people have an allergy issue with seafood,
07:08are they able to eat this?
07:09Absolutely, because there's really no seafood in this.
07:12But it tastes like there's seafood!
07:15So this is where the magic of food tech happens.
07:19What is the feasibility to use such meats for hawkers?
07:23You can implement it as soon as possible.
07:26These products are already available in the market.
07:29Oh, are they?
07:29Yes.
07:30Where can I get the sotong thingy?
07:32I can pass you the contact address.
07:34Oh, great!
07:36So after this, I can just bring it home?
07:37Yeah, bring it home.
07:39You cook, I eat.
07:39Okay.
07:41This is one of my favourite go-tos to eat.
07:42I love nasi lemak,
07:43and when it's pretty, it's even prettier and nicer to eat.
07:46And I love sotong, so this was a treat for me today.
07:49And with that, we'll move on to our next dish,
07:52a national favourite we call raksa.
07:55I forgot to guess what is this made of.
07:58It's tofu, right?
08:00Same.
08:00Soy.
08:02Kuajang.
08:03Oh!
08:03Oh!
08:05So if this is made of konjac,
08:07does it mean that it has low calories?
08:09It is.
08:10Konjac is low calories?
08:11Yeah!
08:13Is it zero calories?
08:14I don't see.
08:15Oh!
08:15And this is good for like, if you go on diet,
08:17since you like squid, right?
08:19Yes!
08:21Yes, yes, yes, yes!
08:22Give me the number of the squid guy later.
08:23This actually looks like fish.
08:25Look at the texture.
08:26It looks like it's sliced fish,
08:27but it's actually, what's...
08:29Squid.
08:29Squid, okay.
08:31Mmm!
08:40Is this made of konjac?
08:43Yes.
08:44Okay.
08:45It's really good though.
08:45It's really, like, it's genuinely good.
08:48I'm gonna start expecting you guys can make like,
08:51vegan oysters.
08:52Woo!
08:53Good idea.
08:53Or vegan sashimi or something,
08:55because like, the standard has just been raised, hasn't it?
08:57Yes!
08:58Yeah!
08:59Look at the prawn though.
09:01The cross-section is actually...
09:02It's actually pretty...
09:04The cross-section, it looks it,
09:05quite pretty convincing lah,
09:06just don't have the dirt.
09:08The what?
09:08The intestines.
09:11She says it's missing the poo-poo.
09:13That's not what I speak about.
09:14To be realistic.
09:15So, to your point,
09:16there's no need for deveining at all?
09:18No need for deveining,
09:19and people who are allergic to seafood can eat this.
09:22So, so many benefits.
09:24But it does have this sweetness
09:26that seafood usually come with.
09:29Yeah.
09:29And because of the colour,
09:31it really looks like prawn.
09:32Yeah.
09:33Is this konjac again?
09:35Yes.
09:36Wow, because...
09:37I mean, I'm kind of mind-blown because
09:39it becomes such a versatile ingredient.
09:42Yeah.
09:43But it does deliver the satiety
09:46that you choose to have with this.
09:47Oh, okay.
09:48Wow, I better pivot to konjac diet.
09:51Does this have protein in it?
09:53Very low.
09:54This is more to deliver experience.
09:56What can I choose
09:58as a non-vegetarian?
10:01So, this concludes our wonderful
10:03and very shiok tasting experience
10:06at the Nurasa Food Tech Innovation Centre.
10:09Thank you, David.
10:10And thank you, Angel,
10:11for coming in front of the camera to join me today.
10:14And I think we can look forward to
10:16experiencing this, hopefully,
10:18in our hawker centres very soon.
10:21To learn more about future food,
10:23I met with a senior scientist
10:25who works at ASTAR
10:27and Nurasa's Food Processing Joint Lab.
10:30Hi there, my name is Euline.
10:31Hi, Euline. I'm Ji Hong.
10:32I'm a senior scientist at the
10:33Food Process Engineering Department
10:35in ASTAR CFB.
10:36Thanks for having us here today.
10:38So, what do you think matters most to Singaporeans
10:40when we talk about alternative food?
10:43Yes, so there are a few key
10:45matters that actually affect.
10:47So, the first one is to the taste and texture.
10:50For example, in our Singapore Food Story grant project,
10:53we actually developed very popular
10:55Asian-based products like
10:56siu mai and gyoza.
10:58So, these have been subjected to
10:59sensory analysis to see whether
11:01this taste and texture are meeting
11:03the consumer expectations.
11:06So, for the second one is affordability.
11:08And the third one is actually
11:10good nutritional values.
11:11So, these plant-based ingredients
11:13are also being subjected to
11:15metabolic health effects,
11:17such as understanding the blood glucose
11:19when the subjects ingest the product.
11:21Thank you for joining us today.
11:23From cutting-edge technology to
11:25creating healthier food options,
11:27Neurasa is significantly contributing
11:29to the future of sustainable nutrition
11:31in Singapore.
11:33Stay tuned for our next episode at
11:34Singapore Poly's Future Food Lab.
11:37See you next time!
11:52Okay, it's all mine.
11:54This is mine.
11:56This is mine.
11:59Okay.