Would You Like Your Steak Printed Medium-Rare?

Food technology companies reinvent the food supply chain with plant-based proteins, cultured meats and 3D-printed meats. We take a look at how these industry disruptors give much food for thought beyond the whims of the palate.

- Esther Faith Lew

Food technology companies are seeing the light of day and growing faster than the magic beans in Jack and the Beanstalk, with a significant number that have already either entered or made an impact on the market, with more to come that are still going through their Seed Rounds or Series As. Both international and local start-ups and companies are stirring up the pot with a staggering mix of offerings for consumers.

Whether it’s beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, lobster, milk or eggs, companies are offering alternative proteins for advocates of a plantbased diet and cultured meats grown in a lab. In our last issue, we covered many – though not exhaustive – brands that are now available. Since then, the developments have kept their momentum. The big boys are jumping in to either partner or fund the creative boys with their innovations. Singapore’s Float Foods has just received a grant from Temasek Foundation to commercialise OnlyEg, a plant-based whole egg substitute. Another local player, Shiok Meats, has reportedly raised US$12.6 million in Series A funding for its lab-grown shrimp, and one of its major shareholders is Seeds Capital, the investment arm of Enterprise Singapore. These examples show that this industry is a blue-eyed boy right now with the government paying close attention to nurturing these startups to unicorns and more. But more importantly, it begs the question “How will consumers react to these new product offerings and what is the potential demand that will arise from it?”

DRIVEN BY PALATE OR PURPOSE?