Food & Beverage Asia December 2020/January 2021

DECEMBER 2020 / JANUARY 2021 

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Food & Beverage Asia

2 

CONTENTS 

16 

12 28 

CONT 

BITING ISSUES 

12 Beneo / Arla Foods Ingredients 

13 Eat Just 

14 Rousselot / Chr. Hansen 

15 SweeGen / Aleph Farms 

INGREDIENTS 

16 Get ready for red 

18 Five trends shaping the food 

industry in 2021 

20 Premiumisation of nut 

and chocolate-based spreads 

22 Protein: The vital nutrient for 

active lifestyle 

26 Healthy indulgence exists 

ON THE TABLE 

28 Creating South East Asian 

flavours with a permeate twist 

32 Friso TrackEasy takes parents on 

a journey from grass to glass 

34 A technological milestone in 

agriculture, a sustainable future 

for planet and generations 

FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA DECEMBER 2020 / JANUARY 2021

CONTENTS 

3 

37 47 

49 52 70 

ENTS 

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 

37 Performance through 

Understanding: Recovery signs 

despite looming pandemic 

40 SOMIC relies on AP05 electronic 

position indicators from Siko 

42 Making a business case for cold 

aseptic filling 

44 Accelerating F&B 4.0: How 

automation and differentiation 

can help move the industry 

forward 

FIRST LOOKS 

46 Bühler 

47 Igus 

48 Datalogic / Krones 

49 Stora Enso-Tetra Pak / 

Munson Machinery 

50 SIG / Mettler-Toledo 

51 Key Technology 

52 SIFST 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 

SHOW PREVIEW 

70 Food + Beverage Indonesia 2021 

REGULARS 

04 Editor’s Note 

05 News 

71 Events Calendar 

72 Advertisers’ Index 


4 

EDITOR’S NOTE 

a year like never before 

In last year’s final issue, we discussed the power of consumer’s freedom of 

choice and highlighted the possibility personalisation might bring forth in the 

search for new flavours and tastes – in short, there were so much excitement 

to look forward to and opportunities ready to be explored and tapped on as 

the world enters a new decade. 

Yet unknowingly, a virus was following closely behind us. In barely three 

months into 2020, the virus took the world by storm, escalated across 

countries, regions and continents, and was later declared the COVID-19 

pandemic. This was soon followed by worldwide lockdowns – borders were 

shut, and people were forced to stay home. Trade was halted, and consumers 

went into panic buying of medical goods and perishables. 

The pandemic merely took months to expose the weaknesses in the global 

supply chains which governments and businesses took decades to build. 

But as economies restart, supply chains will have to be reshaped to better 

manage the current and other crisis the world might face in the future, and 

more importantly ensure continuity for businesses and their customers. 

PABLO SINGAPORE 

Publisher 

Publications Director 

Senior Editor 

Editor 

Graphic Designer 

Circulation Manager 

PABLO BEIJING 

General Manager 

PABLO SHANGHAI 

Senior Editor 

William Pang 

williampang@pabloasia.com 

Jamie Tan 

jamietan@pabloasia.com 

foodbeverageasia@gmail.com 

Pang Yanrong 

yanrong@pabloasia.com 

Josephine Tan 

josephine@pabloasia.com 

Liu Yu 

liuyu@pabloasia.com 

Shu Ai Ling 

circulation@pabloasia.com 

Ellen Gao 

pablobeijing@163.com 

Sharon Wu 

pabloshanghai@163.net 

Among the other things the pandemic might have taught us is, perhaps, eating 

right. When staying home, consumers had more time to whip up their own 

dish. This, in turn, empowers them to have more control over the ingredients 

added to their food and the desire to balance health and nutrition. In page 18 

of this issue, an ADM research found that 31% of consumers are purchasing 

more items tailored for their health, and 50% reported a preference for foods 

and beverages that naturally contain beneficial ingredients. 

Trade events like ProPak Asia have also returned after a hiatus. One exhibitor 

at the show was Sidel, which showcased its packaging innovations designed 

in the spirit of circular economy. To find out the company’s highlights at the 

show and how it has adapted to ensure business continuity for its customers 

during the pandemic, flip to page 37. 

This issue also includes the Singapore Institute of Food Science and 

Technology (SIFST) Annual Report, which highlights the initiatives and 

programmes the organisation has launched over 

the year. Find out more on page 52. 

COVER CREDIT 

GNT 

HEAD OFFICE (SINGAPORE) 

PABLO PUBLISHING & EXHIBITION PTE LTD 

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REGIONAL OFFICE (CHINA) 

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Email: Pablobeijing@163.com 

PABLO SHANGHAI 

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Email: Pabloshanghai@163.com 

2020 is never the same as the previous years the 

world has had. But before we draw to a close, we 

are eager to unveil our new look which you can see 

from the front cover of this issue. The redesigned 

logotype encapsulates our passion and verve for 

providing news and market insights to you. In 

coming months, we will also have a brand-new 

website so stay tune! 

LET’S CONNECT! 


Josephine Tan 

Editor 

Food & Beverage Asia incorporates the Official Publications of the 

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NEWS 5 

Rising food consumption drives Cargill’s expansion of cold-water swelling 

starch production in Indonesia 

Cargill has planned to double its coldwater 

swelling starch production capacity 

at PT Sorini Agro Asia Corporindo, its 

sweetener plant in Pandaan, Indonesia. 

The expansion is aimed to better serve 

food manufacturers, particularly in the 

convenience and foodservice categories. 

Furthermore, the Pandaan expansion 

complements existing lines in North 

America and Europe to further strengthen 

Cargill’s cold-water swelling starch 

manufacturing capabilities worldwide. 

Franck Monmont, managing director of 

Cargill starches, sweeteners & texturisers 

Asia, said: “Since the start of our coldwater 

swelling starch line in Pandann three 

years ago, we have provided customers in 

the region with shorter delivery lead times, 

increased supply reliability, and more costcompetitive, 

Asia-focused specialty starch 

products. Along with our announcement 

of a US$100 million investment to build a 

corn wet mill and starch dryer at the same 

site, this latest development reaffirms 

Cargill’s confidence in Asia as a leading 

food and beverage market, as well as our 

long-term commitment to support both 

Asian and global consumption needs as a 

food ingredients company.” 

Derived from plant origins, cold-water 

swelling starches are regarded as an 

instant starch solution that give textures 

to end products, while offering improved 

Dressings and sauces contain starch to provide 

mouthfeel and texture 

viscosity, better dispersibility, and more 

flexibility in processing. They can be used 

for sauces and dressings, snacks, bakery 

goods, as well as bakery fillings and cold 

prepared dairy products. 

The expansion is expected to be completed 

in May 2021. ■ 

Givaudan refreshes FlavourVision consumer trend programme through 

COVID-19 lens 

Givaudan has refreshed its FlavourVision 

consumer trend programme to reflect the 

impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 

FlavourVision update is poised to serve 

as a tool to help Givaudan’s customers 

decipher and understand how consumer 

With restrictions progressively eased, consumers 

start to value physical human connection between 

each other 

behaviours and product development 

in the food, beverage and nutraceutical 

industries may be affected. 

In the 2020 edition, the company 

identified six shifts that have the potential 

to shape a new normal in the long term. 

For instance, the Human Connection trend 

highlights the intensification of consumers’ 

need to interact with others, and the 

priority given to finding ways to do so. 

Technology and social media have been at 

the centre of facilitating connection, and 

have given businesses the opportunity to 

forge more authentic, human relationships 

with consumers. As restrictions gradually 

begin to lift, people will be increasingly 

selective about who makes it into their 

trusted inner circle. 

The other DelightFULL trend notes that 

COVID-19 has shifted the focus from 

the out-of-home experience economy to 

novel, indulgent and comforting in-home 

experiences – and foods. Furthermore, 

people have turned to nature for a sense 

of escape, and brands have responded by 

evoking nature through sensorial cues in 

their products and services. Economically 

and otherwise vulnerable groups in both 

developed and developing markets, on the 

other hand, are focused more on safety 

and survival than indulgence, comfort and 

escape. 

The 2020 refresh also pointed out six 

other shifts, with a broad range in scale 

and scape that are expected to outlast the 

pandemic, shaping the new normal. From 

home as sanctuary and hygiene and health, 

to an insistence on increase corporate 

accountability, these shifts are expected to 

impact daily life in the future. ■ 


6 

NEWS 

Tate & Lyle acquires Sweet Green Fields 

Tate & Lyle has announced the acquisition 

of Sweet Green Fields (SGF), a global 

stevia solutions business. The acquisition 

will bring forth a broad portfolio of 

the latter’s stevia products and an 

integrated supply chain to the former, 

including leaf sourcing, leaf varietal 

The addition of SGF to the Tate & Lyle family will 

enable the latter deliver tasty food and beverages 

with less sugar 

development, agricultural programmes 

and manufacturing. 

It will also strengthen Tate & Lyle’s 

position as a provider of innovative 

sweetener solutions with the capabilities to 

create foods and beverages that are lower 

in sugar and calories, and with cleaner 

labels for consumers across the world. The 

acquisition further extends the company’s 

presence in the Asia-Pacific region with 

dedicated stevia production and R&D 

facilities located in Anji, China. 

Tate & Lyle began its partnership with SGF 

in 2017, becoming the global distributor 

of the latter’s portfolio of stevia-based 

ingredients and solutions, and then 

acquired a 15% equity holding in SGF the 

following year. Tate & Lyle’s acquisition 

of the remaining shares of SGF simplifies 

the existing relationship by creating an 

integrated supply chain and commercial 

organisation, unified R&D capabilities, 

and combined strengths to accelerate 

innovation and optimise production 

technologies. 

Nick Hampton, chief executive of Tate 

& Lyle, commented: “We’re delighted to 

take our relationship to the next level by 

bringing SGF into the Tate & Lyle family. 

This acquisition supports our strategy to 

grow our sweetener solutions portfolio 

and our purpose of Improving Lives for 

Generations by helping us to deliver tasty 

food and beverages with less sugar to 

consumers worldwide.” ■ 

AAK joins the MISTA platform to strengthen capabilities for plant-based foods 

To accelerate innovation and drive 

further growth within the plant-based 

foods market, AAK has joined the MISTA 

innovative platform, based in San 

Francisco, California, the US. 

Established in 2018, MISTA is an initiative 

that brings together the expertise of 

larger food and ingredients companies 

and select start-ups to optimise ideas, 

products, people and investments in order 

to address current and future challenges 

within the food and beverage industry. 

The start-ups within the MISTA platform 

include clean meat, plant-based, biotech, 

and technology companies. 

light on challenges in the current food 

system. With our speciality oils and fats 

knowledge and application expertise, we 

very much look forward to collaborate with 

the other MISTA members to respond to 

the rapidly changing needs of consumers.” 

Scott May, head of MISTA, added: “We 

are excited to welcome AAK as a MISTA 

member and a key contributor to deliver 

on our purpose to transform the global 

food system and meet the needs of the 

future. With its global presence and 

focus on sustainability, AAK will have a 

significant impact on delivering consumerpreferred 

solutions that require speciality 

oils and fats for optimal taste, texture and 

appearance.” ■ 

As a MISTA member, AAK looks forward 

to collaborating with other members to 

respond to changing needs of consumers 

Niall Sands, president plant-based foods at 

AAK, pointed out that beyond just a trend, 

plant-based foods are rapidly becoming 

a mainstream lifestyle of choice given its 

growth trajectory. He continued: “Driven 

by sustainability, nutrition, well-being, and 

animal welfare concerns, it has also cast 


Red alert! GNT Group predicts 2021’s 

top F&B colour trend 

Red is set to shake up the food and beverage industry in 2021 due 

to its ability to spark powerful emotions, according to EXBERRY 

Colouring Foods supplier GNT Group. 

Red has long been an iconic shade in the worlds of cosmetics, 

beauty, fashion, film and design. As the world approaches 2021, 

GNT predicted red is now ready to invigorate the world of food and 

drink. 

The global COVID-19 pandemic has taken consumers outside their 

comfort zones, leading them to break free from old habits and 

search for something new. GNT pointed out red can connect with 

this desire for discovery, and help signal the start of a new era. 

Associated with sporting dominance, red is a shade that signifies 

power and energy. It is globally recognised as the colour of love, 

too, with the ability to fire up strong feelings of passion and desire. 

GNT also highlighted red’s ability to add a sense of excitement 

and exploration to food and drink, with its appeal among the 

Instagram generation providing another key reason for the 

shade’s growing popularity. 

Maartje Hendrickx, market development manager for GNT, 

elaborated: “Red was the natural choice for our new Love Colour 

with EXBERRY campaign. It epitomises human vitality, creating 

energy, passion and positive action, and brings real excitement 

to food and drink products. Red is well known for its ability to 

command instant attention, and it’s a colour you won’t be able to 

ignore in 2021.” 

With consumers demanding clean and simple ingredients in their 

food and drink, GNT offers a range of red EXBERRY Colouring 

Foods made from raw materials such as radish, carrot, sweet 

potato, hibiscus and berries including elderberry and chokeberry. 

Like all EXBERRY products, GNT’s red shades are made from 

fruit, vegetables and edible plants using physical manufacturing 

processes and no chemical solvents. As a result, they can provide 

the clean-label replacement for colourants such as the azo dye 

Allura Red AC and carmine. ■ 

Gearing up for red? Flip to page 16 to find out more on meeting the 

demand for red food and drink with clean-label colours. 


8 

NEWS 

IMCD expands technical capabilities with opening of new pilot plant 

IMCD has opened its meat, seafood and 

plant-based analogues pilot plant in 

Bangkok, Thailand, to support its Asia- 

Pacific customers and suppliers with 

the latest infrastructure and technical 

expertise. This is part of the company’s 

plan to expand its technical capabilities 

and presence in the region. 

The facility is equipped with manufacturing 

capability to provide its customers the 

flexibility to run tests in an environment 

similar to their own operations. The 

technical team offers product concept 

solutions in the area of yield optimisation, 

food safety, shelf-life extension, and 

improved texture. They will also focus 

on nutritional solutions like egg white 

and phosphate replacer in the seafood 

applications. 

attractiveness remains the utmost criteria 

of choice, IMCD continues on developing 

its offer in Asia-Pacific on flavours, 

seasonings and clean label. 

Emmanuel Colette, business group 

director, food and nutrition, Asia-Pacific, 

IMCD, commented: “With more than 45% 

of consumers globally choosing food 

and beverage products that enhance 

their immune system, our new technical 

infrastructure will support our partners’ 

R&D and marketing teams to co-create 

nutritional and premium tasting solutions. 

“With the opening of this new pilot plant, 

IMCD aims to serve the Asia-Pacific food 

market by helping its customers overcome 

their challenges through agile ingredients’ 

testing and product reformulation.” 

In meeting the growing demand for 

plant-based food alternatives, IMCD 

also planned to embark on a co-creation 

journey with its customers and suppliers to 

go in-depth into the applications of plantbased 

products to provide a healthier and 

better tasting solutions for the region. ■ 

Through this facility, IMCD and its 

partners can develop improved textures, 

compatible with their processing and 

matching consumers expectations on 

firmness and juiciness. As taste and visual 

A look into IMCD’s new facility 

FHA-Food & Beverage will reopen in March 2022 

FHA-Food & Beverage is now scheduled to take 

place from 28-31 Mar 2022 in Singapore 

Informa Markets has announced that 

FHA-Food & Beverage will no longer take 

place physically in 2021. Instead, the 

event will reopen in 2022 from 28-31 Mar 

at its original location Singapore Expo & 

Max Atria. 

Meanwhile, FHA Match, the new virtual 

series of FHA events, will kick off with 

an F&B Series comprising six versions 

to be held throughout 2021. Powered 

by Saladplate.com, the virtual event 

will run two days packed with artificial 

intelligence (AI)-driven meetings to 

match businesses, enabling them to 

form new connections and unlock new 

opportunities across markets. Attendees 

can also catch demonstrations to discover 

new and breakthrough products, and join 

sessions that will discuss emerging trends 

impacting their businesses. 

Designed to be sector-focused, the first 

edition of FHA Match will centre on meat, 

with subsequent editions spotlighting 

dairy, frozen food, drinks, sweets and 

snacks, and fine food respectively. 

Martyn Cox, event director, hospitality, 

food and beverage – Singapore, Informa 

Markets, said: “The launch of FHA Match 

is just one example of our commitment 

to creating fresh and meaningful 

opportunities for our community in a 

number of ways, so that individuals can 

continue to stay engaged and businesses 

can thrive all year long. We look forward 

to working collaboratively with the 

industry, to provide tailored solutions that 

will deliver positive results and lasting 

connections for all.” ■ 


Barry Callebaut inaugurates new office 

and Chocolate Academy in China 

Barry Callebaut has 

opened its fourth office 

and the third Chocolate 

Academy in China, at 

Shenzhen. After Suzhou, 

Shanghai and Beijing, 

the Shenzhen office will 

become the company’s 

The opening of Barry Callebaut’s fourth office and operational hub in 

third Chocolate Academy Centre in China, which 

southern China. Barry 

will better serve growing customers in South China 

Callebaut currently 

has a local factory in Suzhou, sales offices and Chocolate Academy 

Centres in Shanghai, Beijing, to which it now adds Shenzhen. 

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Commenting on the opening, Ben De Schryer, president of Barry 

Callebaut at Asia-Pacific, said: “The inauguration of the new 

office and the Chocolate Academy Centre in Shenzhen is part of 

our continuous expansion in China, and another milestone in our 

successful growth story which started here 12 years ago. The 

facilities will help us to meet the growing demand for high-quality 

chocolate creations, and serve our customers in China better. We will 

also continue to invest our business and strengthen our collaboration 

with food manufacturers and artisanal customers in China.” 

The new Shenzhen office includes a Chocolate Academy Centre, the 

third in China and the 23rd globally. Through inspiration, education 

and personalised support, the Chocolate Academy Centres enable 

artisans, pastry chefs, confectioners, bakers and caterers to create 

the chocolate delights of tomorrow. 

Over the last 12 years, more than 5,000 craftsmen in China have 

attended training and demonstrations in the Chocolate Academy 

Centres in Shanghai and Beijing. The centres have hosted several 

online learning sessions in Mandarin on topics such as home baking, 

which have attracted more than 130,000 viewers since February 

2020. 

Denis Convert, vice-president, gourmet for Barry Callebaut at Asia- 

Pacific, conclude: “China is one of largest gourmet markets in the 

world. Our Chocolate Academy Centres in China have become a hub 

of experience, creativity and inspiration for both professionals and 

chocolate lovers. 

“And this extends online too. We support our customers and 

empower chefs to be at their very own best. They can explore 

chocolate science, innovative techniques, and inspiring recipes 

together with chocolatiers, pastry chefs and bakers.” ■ 

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10 

NEWS 

Mintel launches annual Asia-Pacific Food and Drink Landscape 

Mintel has launched Asia-Pacific: The 

Food and Drink Landscape featuring the 

latest market research, product innovation 

insights, and consumer trends from across 

the region. 

The COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing 

measures, and economic shutdowns have 

resulted in new consumer habits and 

attitudes towards food and drink. These 

shifts have impacted and amplified the 

development of global food and drink 

industry. 

Latest research from Mintel’s food and drink 

analyst team paints a picture of changing 

consumer behaviours and attitudes brought 

forth by the pandemic, trends shaping the 

sector, and future opportunities for brands. 

The Asia-Pacific Food and Drink Landscape 

found that consumers across the region 

have increasingly adopted products 

and services that offer a higher level of 

convenience, further accelerated by the 

advent of COVID-19. Globally, consumer 

interest in air fryers increased during the 

COVID-19 period as people cook and bake 

more at home amid the pandemic. According 

to Mintel Global New Products Database, the 

launches of food products globally with the 

description of “air fryer” saw a five-fold rise 

between June 2017 and May 2020, driven by 

South Korea. 

Other findings include the rising interest 

in health and wellness. For instance, the 

persistence of COVID-19 in the Indian market 

has exposed critical truths related to health 

and wellness, and put a spotlight on how 

consumers’ dietary and lifestyle choices 

matter. Mintel’s Global COVID-19 Tracker 

showcased consumers’ focus on preventive 

health and mindful eating, indicating the 

potential for disruption in the food and drink 

space. 

The 2020 edition of Mintel’s Asia-Pacific Food and Drink Landscape features market research and innovation 

insights, alongside consumer trend across the region 

Furthermore, the preference for natural, simple 

and flexible diets had led consumers to seek 

more fruits, vegetables and other plant-based 

ingredients within the products that they 

purchase. The rise in plant-based diets can be 

attributed to heightened concerns for animal 

welfare, the environmental impact of intensive 

animal farming and also health reasons. ■ 

Gelita acquires stakes in Turkish gelatine manufacturer 

Gelita has acquired 65% of the shares 

in the Turkish gelatine producer, SelJel. 

The joint venture is part of the former’s 

growth strategy to meet the increasing 

demand for gelatine, and in particular 

for halal bovine gelatine. This is a critical 

requirement not only in Islamic state but 

also in large parts of Asia to extend market 

share in this growth region. 

Dr Franz Josef Konert, CEO of Gelita, 

commented: “SelJel complements Gelita 

perfectly. All their products have halal 

status, which helps us to meet the growing 

demand for these products. This will 

further strengthen Gelita’s global network, 

now with 23 locations worldwide, and SelJel 

will profit from Gelita’s global presence.” 

With approximately 6,500 metric tonnes 

of edible, pharmaceutical and technical 

gelatine, SelJel supplies not only the 

national market but also international 

customers. The company was founded 

in 1961 with an initial focus on the 

production of technical gelatine. Since 

2010, the product range has expanded 

to include edible gelatine, and later also 

pharmaceutical gelatine, all with halal 

status. 

The remaining 35% of the shares will 

remain with the founding family Tezman, 

who will also continue to manage the 

company. ■ 

Gummy bears typically contains a mixture of sugar, 

glucose syrup, starch, colouring and gelatine 


NEWS 11 

Azelis extends partnership in Corbion into Indonesian F&H market 

Azelis has extended its distribution 

agreement with Corbion, which will see 

the company distributing Corbion’s 

portfolio for the markets of confectionery, 

processed meat, savoury, and sauces and 

dressings. This partnership is built upon a 

collaboration between the two companies 

in Asia-Pacific. 

Laurent Nataf, CEO and president of Azelis 

Asia-Pacific, said: “We strive to bring the 

latest and best performing ingredient 

solutions to our 11 markets throughout 

Asia-Pacific, while expanding the market 

reach for our principals. Thanks to our 

long-term collaboration with Corbion in 

the region, we can leverage and transfer 

our expertise and formulations know-how.” 

Corbion’s product range in food and 

health includes biobased clean label 

ingredients such as natural preservatives 

and nutritional solutions, emulsifying 

systems and lactic acid specialties for 

confectionery, beverages, baked goods, 

sauces, dressings, condiments, meat and 

fish, and prepared food. The company’s 

product range will complement Azelis’ 

portfolio, offering new ingredient synergies 

and solutions to the food and health 

customers in Indonesia. 

Antonius Prihantono, managing director 

for Azelis Indonesia, added: “Corbion’s 

product range is a strong asset for Azelis 

as it reinforces our innovative offering to 

customers and enhances our ingredient 

portfolio synergy. Furthermore, Corbion 

offers solutions in line with the latest 

market trends of label-conscious, healthier 

lifestyle and safety focus.” 

In 2017, Azelis opened an office as well as 

a Food and Health application laboratory 

in Indonesia to deliver an optimum service 

to its customers. Last year, the company 

further acquired Primaditha, an Indonesian 

local specialty food ingredient distributor, 

to reinforce its position in the market, 

demonstrating its dedication to grow both 

organically with its partners and through 

selected acquisitions. ■ 

Corbion’s offers clean label ingredients for 

confectionery, baked goods, prepared food and 

more (Photo credit: Getty Images) 

Tomra Food joins WBCSD 

Tomra Food has joined over 200 

companies as the newest project 

member of the World Business Council 

for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), 

an organisation that aims to accelerate 

the transition to a sustainable world. 

Connecting with WBCSD’s network of 

businesses across a variety of sectors will 

enable Tomra Food to continue to enhance 

and implement its sustainability ambitions 

in collaboration with like-minded partners. 

Tomra Food’s sorting and grading 

solutions are designed to increase the 

yield of produce by between 5-10%, 

which, for instance, is equivalent to 25,000 

trucks of potatoes every year, the company 

claimed. This allows businesses to 

maximise productivity and recovery rates, 

while reducing food waste and improving 

the overall quality of the produce. 

Tomra Food is the newest member of the World 

Business Council for Sustainable Development 

(WBCSD) 

Michel Picandet, executive vice-president 

and head of Tomra Food, said: “To achieve 

a sustainable future for the food industry, 

governments, corporates and consumers 

alike, must change the way in which we 

produce and handle food – from farm to 

fork. By 2050, food demand will increase 

by 50%, so meeting these challenges is 

vital to ensure food sector sustainability 

for future generations. At Tomra Food, 

we’re committed to leading the resource 

revolution through our technology, helping 

improve yields, reduce food waste, and use 

our food resources more efficiently – three 

key factors in food sustainability. 

“Tomra is already a member of The 

Alliance to End Plastic Waste, and now 

Tomra Food is taking the partnership with 

WBCSD one step further to make the future 

of food sustainable. We are proud to be 

joining the prestigious list of companies 

and institutions that make up the WBCSD. 

We expect to learn, challenged, and 

contribute to solutions for a healthier 

planet for healthy people.” ■ 


12 BITING ISSUES 

Beneo 

Beneo launches Remypure S52 P for clean label applications 

Beneo has launched its new pre-cooked 

functional native rice starch, Remypure 

S52 P. It will allow food manufacturers to 

produce clean label food preparations, 

such as cold processed sauces, dressings, 

dairy desserts and bakery fillings with an 

instant functional native rice starch. Now 

available worldwide, the new ingredient 

delivers “soft and creamy” textures and 

product stability, even under processing 

conditions such as shear and acid. 

Applications such as food dressings, 

sauces and dips, bakery fillings, or dairy 

desserts, traditionally have to withstand 

acidity or high shear during preparation, 

and can be challenging to maintain optimal 

functionality under these conditions. The 

Beneo’s Remypure S52 P delivers “soft and creamy” 

textures in applications such as food dressings, 

dairy desserts and more 

functional native texturiser Remypure 

S52 P addresses this issue. This precooked 

starch performs as modified 

starches in cold processing conditions that 

involve low pH and high shear, whilst being 

clean label. 

Benoit Tavernier, product manager specialty 

rice ingredients at Beneo, said: “Remypure 

S52 P has been developed for food 

producers searching for an instant clean 

label texturiser for food preparations that 

can withstand harsh processing conditions, 

whilst giving an additional creamy aspect to 

the texture of the end product. It is the first 

rice starch of its kind on the market for this 

type of application, and has already been 

well received in a range of taste tests. 

“With the now extended Remypure range of 

functional native rice starches, Beneo is well 

set to support existing and potential new 

customers in their development process of 

various new clean label products.” ■ 

Arla Foods Ingredients 

Arla Foods Ingredients develops new organic solution for 

cooking-stable cheese 

Arla Foods Ingredients has launched 

a new organic functional solution 

for cooking-stable cheese products. 

The solution is part of a new line that 

empowers manufacturers meet the 

growing demand for healthy, natural and 

organic products. 

Cooking-stable cheese products – such 

as grilling cheeses and cheese fries – are 

increasingly prevalent. They have been 

used as protein-rich substitute for meat, 

and have created new possibilities to cater 

for the growing number of vegetarian and 

flexitarian consumers. 

and stability. The line includes Nutrilac 

FO-7922 Organic, a new product for 

cooking-stable cheese products. Designed 

for grilling cheeses, cheese patties for 

burgers, cheese sticks, cheese nuggets, 

and cheeses for hot pot soup, it can 

also be used to create recombined dairy 

products that are just as delicious as those 

made from fresh milk. 

As well as being organic, Nutrilac 

FO-7922 Organic is heat-stable in 

processing, allows flexible levels of sodium 

content, and has a pleasant taste. Other 

advantages include 100% yield. 

products in a variety of forms. At the 

same time, ethical purchasing drivers are 

increasingly important and the demand 

for organic products is huge. Our new 

solution meets all of these current market 

needs. It combines functional benefits with 

a natural, wholesome, organic positioning 

that enhances consumer appeal.” ■ 

Arla Foods Ingredients now adds an 

organic line to its Nutrilac range of 

functional protein solutions, which offer 

multiple functionalities in dairy, including 

improved taste, texture, creaminess 

Claus Bukbjerg Andersen, senior category 

manager at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: 

“Contemporary ways of cooking and 

eating cheese are increasingly varied, 

and there’s demand for cooking-stable 

Nutrilac FO-7922 Organic joins Arla Foods 

Ingredients’ family of functional protein solutions 


BITING ISSUES 13 

Eat Just granted ‘world’s first’ regulatory approval for cultural meat 

Eat Just’s cultured chicken has been (SFA), Singapore’s regulatory authority 

approved for sale in Singapore as an entrusted with ensuring a safe food supply. 

ingredient in chicken bites. The San During this process, Eat Just complied with 

Francisco-headquartered company has SFA’s food safety requirements for the 

developed other cultured chicken formats assessment of novel foods. 

that will be an extension to this product 

line. 

Concurrent to the consultation and review 

period, Eat Just formed partnerships with 

The approval marks the “world’s first” local manufacturers in Singapore to produce 

regulatory allowance of meat created cultured chicken cells and formulate the 

directly from animal cells for safe human finished product ahead of its sale to a 

consumption, paving the way for a 

restaurant and, ultimately, initial availability 

forthcoming small-scale commercial to consumers. The company has been 

launch in Singapore of Eat Just’s new Good impressed with the calibre of local partners 

Meat brand. The regulatory achievement helping to make Good Meat a strategic reality, 

involved an iterative and extensive safety and further positioning Singapore as the 

review by the Singapore Food Agency Asia-Pacific region’s hub for food innovation. 

Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Eat 

Just, commented: “Singapore has long 

been a leader in innovation of all kinds, 

from information technology to biologics 

to now leading the world in building a 

healthier, safer food system. I’m sure that 

our regulatory approval for cultured meat 

will be the first of many in Singapore and 

in countries around the globe. 

“Working in partnership with the broader 

agriculture sector and forward-thinking 

policymakers, companies like our can help 

mee the increased demand for animal 

protein as our population climbs to 9.7 

billion by 2050.” ■ 

Eat Just 


14 BITING ISSUES 

Rousselot 

Rousselot expands SiMoGel capabilities for centre-filled gummies 

Rousselot, a Darling Ingredients brand, 

has announced the development of 

its latest SiMoGel concept for centrefilled 

gummies. This gelatine-based 

solution enhances process efficiency and 

flexibility for a faster, cost-effective and 

hygienic production of nutraceutical and 

pharmaceutical gummies. 

With this latest innovation within the 

SiMoGel range, gummy manufacturers 

will be able to develop centre-filled 

soft gummies that combine consumer 

preferences for chewable dosage forms, 

with the ability to include a broad range of 

nutrients at adequate dosage. 

SiMoGel enables the production of 

nutraceutical and pharmaceutical soft 

gummies in optimal conditions. With 

SiMoGel, the traditional starch moguls are 

replaced by silicone moguls or blisters. 

The starchless depositing, which can be 

done in either silicone or metal moulds, 

or directly in blister packs, prevents 

cross-contamination of ingredients. This 

technique also enhances application 

possibilities in terms of shape and texture, 

making an array of formats including 3D 

and high-dimensional products possible. 

Rousselot has been offering gelatine 

for a wide range of nutraceutical and 

pharmaceutical applications. Its gelatines 

are known for their functional properties, 

suitability for immediate release dosing 

and versatility in format applications, 

and are therefore used in several types 

of delivery forms including capsules, soft 

gels, chewable or coated tablets, and in 

functional gummies. ■ 

Rousselot’s SiMoGel gelatine-based solution allows 

manufacturers to create new delivery formats, 

including centre-filled gummy caps 

Chr. Hansen 

Chr. Hansen extends FreshQ bioprotection solution into the fermented 

plant-based segment 

At a time when fermented plant-based 

products are experiencing increasing 

popularity, Chr. Hansen launched FreshQ 

DA, the food culture selected to help 

strengthen fermentation of these products, 

providing improved protection against the 

spoilage caused by yeast and moulds. 

Peter Thoeysen, director of bioprotection 

at Chr. Hansen, explained that FreshQ DA 

consists of lactic acid bacteria selected for 

its ability to out-compete contaminants 

through fermentation, and is able to work 

in variety of plant bases to help keep 

products fresh for longer. He continued: 

“Bioprotection uses ‘good bacteria’ to 

fight ‘bad bacteria’, yeast and mould, to 

help keep food fresh from the inside out. 

Using fermentation for this is a well-known 

concept in the dairy world, and it offers 

similar potential for the fermented plantbased 

foods industry. 

“With fermentation-driven bioprotection, 

producers are better equipped to build 

consumer trust in their brand by improving 

product quality in a natural way. Improving 

quality and shelf life can also help reduce 

food waste at the global level, providing 

consumers with an extended window 

during which to consume the food they 

purchase.” 

FreshQ is the newest addition to Chr. 

Hansen’s FreshQ line. The company first 

introduced its bioprotective solution for 

traditional fresh dairy products in 2012, 

then launched the second generation in 

2017, and now follows up with a version 

aimed at the growing market for fermented 

plant-based foods. Furthermore, producers 

can look forward to improve supply-chain 

sustainability with FreshQ as extending 

freshness can allow them to optimise 

production and logistics, thus reducing 

waste in the value chain while also giving 

consumers a longer window during when 

to consume the food. ■ 

Fermenting with FreshQ DA in food culture solution 

can help improve the robustness of fermented 

products against spoilage throughout the value 

chain, maintaining quality for longer to optimise 

consumer satisfaction 


BITING ISSUES 15 

SweeGen commercialises new Bestevia Reb I 

As clean-label zero-calorie natural 

sweeteners continue to be attractive 

to consumers, SweeGen announced 

the expansion of its natural sweetener 

portfolio with the commercial production 

of Bestevia Reb I, a next-gen high-purity 

stevia sweetener and flavour. 

Reb I expands SweeGen’s toolbox for 

addressing the challenges of reducing 

Reb I can be adopted in applications such as dairy, 

beverages and savoury 

sugar and delivering sweet taste solutions 

to food and beverage manufacturers. 

This newest edition to SweeGen’s natural 

sweetener portfolio works in product 

applications across the spectrum, ranging 

from dairy, beverages, nutritional bar, 

confectionery to savoury. 

Reb I is produced by a bioconversion 

technology, starting with the stevia leaf. 

This process was developed by Conagen, 

a biotech innovator of sustainable 

ingredients. SweeGen’s portfolio of natural 

Bestevia stevia sweeteners are produced 

with Conagen’s bioconversion technology, 

and are classified as “next generation, 

non-GMO, high-purity and clean tasting”. 

The Bestevia portfolio includes Rebs B, 

D, E and M, and now Reb I. These Rebs 

translate to clean-label, sustainable, 

natural sweeteners that consumers seek. 

Dr Casey Lippmeier, vice-president of 

innovation for Conagen, said: “Conagen 

is happy to support the successful 

commercialisation of Reb I as the latest 

offering from our pipeline of non-caloric 

sweeteners. We are looking forward to 

additional novel stevia sweeteners for 

providing greater flexibility and options to 

food and beverage manufacturers.” 

SweeGen added it has received the FDA 

Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) no 

objection letter, and achieved The Flavour 

and Extract Manufacturers Association 

(FEMA). Global regulatory is underway. ■ 

SweeGen 

Aleph Farms unveils prototype of its first commercial cultivated 

steak product 

Aleph Farms has embarked on the journey 

towards the transfer of its commercial 

product – thin-cut beef steaks – into 

platform suitable for mass cultivation. The 

steaks, grown directly from non-GMO cells 

of a living cow, are said to offer improved 

Aleph Farms lays the foundation towards soft 

launch of its cultivated beef steak 

nutritional, culinary and sensory attributes 

of meat in texture, flavour and aroma. The 

company has developed five modules for 

its mass production platform, with an aim 

to bring the product to cost parity with 

conventional meat at scale. 

The prototype of its commercial product 

was first introduced at the Asia-Pacific 

Agri-Food Innovation Summit last month 

in Singapore as part of a virtual cooking 

demonstration. 

Aleph Farms’ platform for cultivating 

steaks mirrors the natural process of 

tissue regeneration processes that occur 

in the animal’s body, but outside of it and 

under controlled conditions. The process is 

designed to use a fraction of the resources 

required for raising an entire animal for 

meat, and without antibiotics. 

To successfully grow whole pieces of meat, 

the company mimics the extra-cellular 

matrix found in animals with a plant-based 

matrix that enables the cells to grow 

and form structured tissues of meat. Its 

“cell-banks” yield an unlimited source 

of pluripotent, non-GMO cow cells’ for 

growing large quantities of meat without 

the dependency on living animals. 

Aleph Farms has designed tissue 

cultivators to facilitate the biological 

process occurring in vivo, providing the 

warmth and basic animal-free elements 

needed to build tissue in nature. This 

includes water, proteins, carbohydrates, 

fats, vitamins, and minerals. 

The company has structured its product so 

that it embodies the texture, taste, cooking 

behaviour, as well as nutritional qualities of 

conventional slaughter-based steaks. ■ 

Aleph Farms 


16 

INGREDIENTS 

Get ready for red 

Red is set to be the dominant colour trend in 2021. Victor Foo, general manager for GNT Singapore, explains 

why it is crucial to meet the demand for red food and drink with clean-label colours. 

In 2021, red is set to take the 

world of food and drink by storm. 

Red inspires a range of powerful 

emotions, conjuring up thoughts of 

love, passion and romance. At the 

same time, it is also a highly stimulating 

colour that evokes feelings of excitement 

and invigoration. 

With consumers across the world 

searching for positivity after a difficult 

2020, red is the perfect colour for the 

moment. Epitomising human vitality, 

it connects with that global desire for 

uplifting and energising products. It is 

also a huge hit on social media, helping 

consumers create Instagram posts based 

on a wide range of eye-catching red food 

and drink delights. 

THE RISE OF RED 

The possibilities for creating stunning 

red products are endless. For instance, 

seasonal confectionery launches for 

events such as Valentine’s Day and 

Christmas can be brought to life with 

vibrant reds, giving inspiration to products 

including gummies, lollies, jellies, hardboiled 

candy and chocolate lentils. 

Baked goods, too, can benefit from red’s 

eye-catching fillings, inclusions and 

decorations. Dumplings are another great 

option, particularly during the Chinese 

New Year celebrations, with red providing 

a twist on traditional classic. 

In the world of snacks, red vegetables 

inclusions such as beetroot can add a 

touch of adventure as well as healthful 

appeal to breakfast bars, popcorn, 

crackers and crisps. 

Meanwhile, the younger generation 

is searching for something new and 

different from their alcoholic beverages, 

with striking colours and bold flavours 

coming to the fore. Red botanicals and 

‘superfoods’ such as hibiscus, berries and 

pomegranate can provide a platform for 

spectacular colours as well as elevating 

innovation with exciting flavours. 

Non-alcoholic beverages can benefit 

from red as well. Consumers are seeking 

out convenient ways to improve their 

health, with immunity becoming a key 

area of focus as a result of the COVID-19 

pandemic. In addition to red superfoods, 

red vegetables are now a popular addition 

to these functional drinks, from juice shots 

to probiotic drinks. 

Vibrant reds can also bring the best out 

of many ‘meaty’ plant-based products, 

providing that intensely appearance to 

hamburger and ground beef substitutes. 

Reds can even be used to help bring highly 

realistic colour to the new wave of plantbased 

fish. 

CLEAN APPEAL 

While red can ensure products have real 

visual appeal, it is equally important 

to only use colouring ingredients that 

consumers can trust. Shoppers are 

increasingly seeking out natural products 

and, for many, that means nothing 

artificial 1 . 

GlobalData research shows 45% of 

Asia-Pacific consumers associate the 

term ‘clean label’ with ‘free from artificial 

ingredients’ 2 . When it comes to artificial 

colours, Nielsen research has found 

that nearly two-thirds of Asia-Pacific 

consumers make an effort to avoid them 3 . 


INGREDIENTS 

17 

Even some so-called ‘natural’ red 

colouring ingredients fail to meet 

expectations. Many are produced using 

chemical solvents, while carmine is made 

from the cochineal insect. 

Modern shoppers increasingly want to 

know exactly what goes into their food and 

drink, and to feel a sense of reassurance 

when they turn to the label. In fact, Innova 

Market Insights has named transparency 

as its top trend for 2021, with six in 10 

consumers worldwide indicating they are 

interested in learning more about where 

foods come from 4 . 

PLANT-BASED COLOURS 

With shades covering the whole rainbow, 

EXBERRY Colouring Foods are made from 

fruit, vegetables and edible plants without 

any chemical solvents. The raw materials 

from red products include radishes, 

blackcurrants and carrots, ensuring they 

are instantly recognisable when shoppers 

look at the ingredient list. 

The EXBERRY Shade Vivid Red, for 

example, could be described on the label 

as ‘Colouring Food (concentrate of carrot 

and blackcurrant)’, which can also help 

underline the healthful appeal of products 

such as vegetable-based snacks. 

GNT takes pride in using only the best 

raw materials for its Colouring Foods, 

too. The company is vertically integrated 

and monitors the entire supply chain, 

from selection of seeds to cultivation and 

harvesting of raw materials, all the way 

through to finished products. Regardless of 

the crop, GNT’s materials are cultivated to 

deliver exceptional colour performance. 

The entire process is controlled by GNT’s 

agronomists, who conduct quality checks 

at regular intervals. GNT conducts regular, 

full-coverage screening tests to ensure that 

the products are GMO-free and take steps to 

control the use of pesticides and fertilisers. 

GNT’s vertical integration has also enabled 

the company to ensure it can provide a 

consistent, year-round supply of Colouring 

Foods. While the pandemic has created 

challenges throughout the industry, GNT has 

been able to maintain sufficient inventory of 

raw materials and finished ingredients for all 

its customers. 

A FUTURE-PROOF SOLUTION 

While consumer expectations can 

evolve quickly, EXBERRY Colouring 

Foods are designed to be a future-proof 

solution. They are made from plantbased 

ingredients using simple, physical 

processing methods such as chopping, 

boiling and filtering. Still based on the 

company’s founding principle of colouring 

food with food, they can deliver vibrant 

shades for almost any application. 

EXBERRY Colouring Foods are the ideal 

choice for 2021. For anything from hibiscus 

cocktails to plant-based beef burgers, 

EXBERRY can deliver head-turning reds 

with clean and clear labels. FBA 

REFERENCES 

1. Ipsos MORI 'Natural: What does it mean to 

consumers?' (April 2018) 

2. GlobalData 2017 Q1 Consumer Survey 

3. Nielsen 'What's In Our Food And On Our 

Mind: Ingredient And Dining-Out Trends 

Around The World' (2016) 

4. Innova Market Insights 'Innova Identifies 

Top 10 Food and Beverage Trends to 

Accelerate Innovation in 2021' (October 

2020) 

Red botanicals in beverages can provide a 

platform for spectacular colours as well as 

elevating innovation with exciting flavours 


18 

INGREDIENTS 

Five trends shaping the food industry in 2021 

From heightened anxiety and stress, to changes in social connectivity, to a more holistic approach to wellness, 

consumer needs are transforming at a rapid pace. Understanding foundational macrotrends, human tensions 

and consumer behaviour is key to ensuring a sustainable future for food and beverage businesses. Through 

ADM’s OutsideVoice consumer insights platform, the company identifies five global trends that will shape the 

food industry in 2021. 

ADM has released its view on 

the five food and beverage 

trends that will impact the 

way consumers eat and 

drink in the new year. Based 

on research from ADM’s OutsideVoice 

consumer insights platform, the report 

provides a breakdown of each trend that 

will come to the fore in the 12 months 

ahead. Each of these trends is influenced 

by behavioural and societal changes that 

have emerged since the beginning of the 

COVID-19 pandemic, including heightened 

feelings of anxiety and stress, shifting 

priorities, changes in social connectivity, 

and the adoption of a more holistic 

approach to wellness. 

Leo Liu, Asia-Pacific president of ADM, 

commented: “The coming year will be one 

of significant change and innovation for 

the food and beverage industry in the Asia- 

Pacific region. Driven by the global health 

crisis and sustainability trends, consumers 

are looking for products that naturally 

contain beneficial ingredients, and have a 

more healthy and positive impact on the 

environment. 

“We will see more transparency in labelling 

as consumers look for products that meet 

these expectations, and much stronger 

demand for plant-based protein in their 

diet. It will be a dynamic market and one 

in which we look forward to assisting 

customers meet the challenges and 

opportunities ahead.” 

ADM’s prediction on the five trends that will 

spur innovation in the new year, include: 

1PROACTIVE APPROACH TO 

NOURISHING THE BODY AND MIND 

ADM research found that 31% of 

consumers are purchasing more items 

tailored for their health, and 50% reported 

a preference for foods and beverages that 

naturally contain beneficial ingredients 1 . 

The desire to influence health and wellness 

through foods and beverages will create 

new opportunities for nutrient-dense 

products with functional health benefits 

aimed at supporting immune systems, 

enhancing mood, and sustaining energy. 

Sensory factors like flavour and colour also 

play an increasingly crucial role. Consumers 

are gravitating towards foods and 

beverages with bright and exciting colours 

that indicate citrus flavours, with their 

naturally occurring vitamin C, as well as 

products with familiar, nostalgic flavours 

during these stressful times. 

2 

SUSTAINABILITY TAKES 

CENTRE STAGE 

Over two-thirds of consumers want to 

have a positive impact on the environment 

through their everyday actions 3 . This is a 

key reason why 32% of consumers buy 

sustainably produced items 4 . The growing 

awareness of the collective impact on 

the environment has elicited increasing 

demand for companies to demonstrate 

their sustainability commitment beyond 

just the end product to responsible 

sourcing and operating standards. 

Specialised feed to reduce methane 

emissions in livestock, for example, has 

helped to address consumer interest in 

more eco-friendly protein sources. New 

farming practices, such as regenerative 

agriculture, are being used to enrich 

soil, resulting in carbon drawdown 


INGREDIENTS 

19 

and improvements to the water cycle. 

Renewable plant-based materials such 

as corn starch and even seaweed are 

appearing in consumer packaging to 

reduce landfill waste. 

3 

GUT MICROBIOME – THE 

GATEWAY TO WELLNESS 

Approximately 25% of global consumers 

suffer from digestive health issues 2 . Of 

those, 50% claimed that it has a moderate 

or severe impact on their overall health 2 . 

The pandemic has accelerated consumer 

interest in a more holistic approach 

to health, which includes a greater 

understanding of the foundational role of 

the gut microbiome on each individual’s 

health. 

Products targeting the microbiome have 

been shown to help address specific 

metabolic conditions and issues such 

as weight management, immune system 

support, and better emotional well-being. 

This provides fertile ground for food 

and beverage innovation with functional 

solutions like prebiotics, probiotics and 

postbiotics that support microbiome 

function. 

4PLANT-BASED FOOD GOES 

BEYOND THE BUN 

Globally, 56% of plant consumers are 

trying to eat more plant-based foods 

and beverages, pushing alternative 

proteins into an increasingly mainstream 

phenomenon 1 . Demand for plant-based 

protein products is rapidly expanding 

beyond just burger analogues to new 

and novel products, including alternative 

seafoods like shellfish and shrimp, plantbased 

cheeses, ready-to-eat protein 

snacks and more. Alternative meat 

products also continue to evolve, with new 

technologies like 3D printing and protein 

fermentation playing a role in driving 

innovation. New plant-based meats on the 

horizon include whole-muscle products 

like steak and chicken breast, lunch meat, 

bacon and more. 

The dairy alternative category, an early 

leader in the plant-based nutrition space, 

is growing to encompass other formats 

such as yoghurt, ice cream, butter, 

spreads, and creamers. To stand out in the 

dairy aisle, products must deliver more 

protein than traditional dairy, and feature 

a nutritional label fortified with vitamins 

and minerals or functional ingredients like 

probiotics. 

5 

TRANSPARENCY BUILDS 

CONSUMER TRUST 

Consumers now expect food labels to 

provide greater transparency around 

the entire product lifecycle. This, in turn, 

helps drive the demand for locally sourced 

products as consumers seek greater 

clarity on where the ingredients in food 

and beverages come from. In fact, 26% of 

global consumers look for the country of 

origin on food and drink labels 5 . 

The quest for cleaner ingredients extends 

to flavour and colours, with many seeking 

natural alternatives, whether it be 

elderberries to give a product a rich blue 

hue or peppermint and mint to elicit an 

energising burst of coolness in foods and 

beverages. Sweeteners, such as monk 

fruit and stevia, are growing in popularity 

as consumers seek out natural ways to 

reduce their sugar intake. 

The global pandemic has drastically 

changed consumer perceptions of the 

world, including the way consumers eat, 

drink and connect with one another. With 

these nutrition trends gaining steam in 

2021 and beyond, ADM is positioned 

to provide brands with the innovative 

solutions required to meet customer needs 

in an ever-changing marketplace. FBA 

This article is provided by ADM. 

REFERENCES 

1. ADM OutsideVoice 

2. Euromonitor, The Rise and Potential of Gut 

Health. 

3. The Hartman Group. SUST2019. 

4. Euromonitor International Lifestyles 

Survey, Fielded Jan-Feb 2020. 

5. Euromonitor International Health + 

Nutrition Survey, fielded February 2020 

as reported in “Local Vs Global: How 

Ingredient Trends Reflect Cultural Shifts” 


20 

INGREDIENTS 

By DHEERAJ TALREJA 

The global sweet spread 

market is forecasted to grow 

at a CAGR of 3.2% during 

the forecast period 2019- 

2024, according to a Mordor 

Intelligence report. The growth within 

this market can be attributed to the rising 

popularity of quick and healthy morning 

meal replacements among office goers and 

younger population. 

Chocolate and nut spreads are referred to 

as sweet chocolate or nut-based flavoured 

pastes which are mostly used on bread, 

toasts, pancakes and other grain products. 

These spreads have become an integral 

part of breakfast and evening snacks. 

Resurging interest in home baking and 

cooking due to COVID-19 pandemic led 

lockdown has increased the frequent 

consumption of sweet spreads across the 

globe. 

The market for chocolate and nut spread is 

growing due to the rise in consumption of 

chocolate spread over a piece of bread for 

breakfast, and children are more inclined 

towards it. Consumers crave for indulgent, 

luxurious chocolate and nut experiences 

that combines flavour with emotional 

satisfaction. 

The use of chocolate spreads is no longer 

restricted to being an accompaniment 

for traditional desserts and treats such 

as waffles, toast and crumpets, it has 

expanded into new culinary areas such as 

a melted dipping sauce for fruit and as a 

versatile baking ingredient. 

During the lockdown, consumers used 

chocolate or nut spreads for cakes, cookie 

fillings and ice-cream toppings as part 

of their home-baking indulgence. Major 

brands in India like Hershey’s and Nutella 

witnessed a sharp increase in their sales 

as home-baking were one of the major 

trends during the lockdown period. People 

bought in more volumes as the frequency 

of visiting stores had declined. Besides, 

the value of the purchase had also gone up 

as consumers were spending more time in 

the kitchen. 

With consumers becoming increasingly 

aware of a healthy diet and lifestyle, 

the list of ingredients, particularly with 

chocolate, is cleaner with no additives, no 

preservatives and with natural flavours, 

and the choice of free from products is 

increasing. Classic flavours such as nuts, 

caramel or dessert are always popular 

among the consumers. But coffee spread 

is a new flavour profile that is gaining 

popularity along with other exotic 

preferences such as unusual fruits and 

even vegetables. 

The premium trend remains strong with 

fine flavours and single origin claims have 

become popular among consumers. There 

is also some interest for sweet and salty 

combinations; for example, salted roasted 

almonds spread. 


INGREDIENTS 

21 

Nut butter or spreads fit into the health 

and fitness revolution, and is gathering 

momentum as people recognise the 

wholesome goodness and nutritional 

benefits of nut butter or spreads. This is 

because the concept of healthy eating 

has been invented, following COVID-19. 

With many eating fewer carbohydrates, 

protein and fats are in demand. Nut butter 

and spreads are rich is both and also low 

in carbohydrates. Peanut butter has led 

the way for other nut-based spreads like 

almond, cashew, macadamia nut, coconut, 

and walnut to enter the industry and offer 

a wider variety of spreads for consumers to 

choose from. 

sweet spreads. Various spread companies 

have introduced sweet-based spreads 

that can deliver both health and taste 

requirements, after the popularity of jam 

and jelly, among which chocolate, peanut 

spread, and almond spread flavours are 

gaining popularity, especially among the 

youth population. 

The increasing trend for snackification 

is fuelling the growth of chocolate 

and nut-based spreads market during 

the forecast period. The availability of 

regional products at a convenient price is 

creating competition in the market. Another 

important fuelling growth into the market is 

low-sugar and low-fat alternatives, especially 

in the form of natural or organic spreads, 

with functional attributes. It is important for 

marketers to have the right selection of oil 

and fat in delivering good quality product 

and various companies like AAK help create 

solutions which adhere to this segment and 

providing value to their business. FBA 

Dheeraj Talreja is president – India, AAK Group. 

Nut-based spread industry is highly 

competitive with private labels providing 

competition to major brands, in terms 

of product innovation as well as price. 

Higher competition is also forcing many 

established international brands to 

differentiate their products from its local 

producers, leading to product innovation in 

the market. 

Consumers are constantly looking 

for healthy snacks made from natural 

ingredients. Hazelnut butter brings great 

opportunities for manufacturers who 

are looking for protein-rich foods from 

a plant-based source. Furthermore, 

hazelnuts contribute significantly to the 

chocolate and nut spreads taking over 

the market, with a continued promise of 

growth. Versatility in chocolate hazelnut 

spreads has put it among all breakfast 

menus or dessert item in equal measure. 

Nutella shakes, sandwiches, pizzas are 

extremely growing demands among young 

consumers. 

With the rise in the working-class 

population around the world and to 

cater the needs for various breakfast 

and snack food for children, the easy-tomake 

category of breakfast will always be 

trendy and consumers always up to try 

new tastes and innovations, in terms of 

Chocolate spread – a spread for all occasions 


22 

INGREDIENTS 

Protein: 

The vital nutrient 

for active lifestyle 

Protein is one of the macronutrients needed by 

the human body to survive, and is contained 

in different combinations and quantities in the 

food people consume. Dr David Heber, chairman 

for Herbalife Nutrition Institute, writes more on 

the importance of necessary dietary support, 

including an ideal meal plan and consumption 

of protein for both health and sports enthusiasts 

alike. 

As the world slowly eases out 

of the COVID-19 pandemic, 

it has become even more 

crucial to maintain a strong 

immunity and healthy body 

through an active lifestyle coupled with 

balanced nutrition. 

In a survey conducted by Herbalife 

Nutrition in Asia-Pacific with 5,500 

consumers, respondents indicated that 

they were more knowledgeable about 

dietary carbohydrates and fats, and 

significantly less informed about protein. 

In addition, more than a third of the 

respondents in the Herbalife Nutrition 

survey said they were most interested in 

credible advice on enhancing sports and 

physical performance through nutrition. 

The survey also highlighted the fact that 

healthcare professionals (HCPs) were 

the most trusted source of nutritional 

information for consumers in the region. 

Physically active individuals, as much as 

athletes, need a balanced diet and healthy 

active lifestyle. A good balance needs to 

be maintained to ensure bodies are well 

fed, nourished and prepared for immune 

challenges. This is where HCPs can advise 

and help with the necessary dietary 

information that can fuel a healthy and 

active lifestyle. 

THERE IS NO ONE SIZE THAT 

FITS ALL 

For an average person, the daily caloric 

intake ranges between 1,800 to 2,000 

calories. On the other hand, a typical 

marathoner could consume additional 

2,500 calories on top of those needed to 

power basic metabolism, implying some 

runners will need to eat 5,000 to 6,000 

calories a day. Even more, an elite cyclist 

might consume 8,000 calories a day on a 

long-distance ride. 

According to world swimming champion 

Michael Phelps, his workouts are powered 

by drinking energy-dense nutritional 

shakes and mind-boggling quantities of 

food. Based on his self-reports, his diet 

racks up about 12,000 calories a day, to 

power his five-hours-a-day, six-day-aweek 

training regimen. On the contrary, 

the ideal diet for a gymnast is a mere 

2,000 calories; low in fat, high in complex 

carbohydrates and high in fibre, according 

to USA Gymnastics. In other words, to 

power those gravity-defying tumbling 

passes, a gymnast does not eat much 

more than an average individual. 

The lean body mass, which includes 

organ and muscle proteins, determines 

the number of calories burned at rest and 

the number of grams of protein required 

per day to maintain the lean body mass. 

Protein is the most abundant substance in 

the body other than water. 

One kilogram of lean body mass burns 

about 30 kilocalories per day at rest. For 

very active athletes such as elite cyclists, 

additional calorie burn due to exercise 

can be highly significant or even greatly 

exceed the resting calorie burn. For 

most individuals, the resting energy burn 

represents about 75% of the total calories 

burned. For both athletes and average 

individuals, the protein in the body must 

be maintained daily as it is a dynamic 

nutrient that is broken down and rebuilt 

between meals and after exercise. 

When adequate protein has been 

consumed to maintain the lean body mass, 

additional calories for intensive exercise 

can be supplied by fats and carbohydrates. 

Whenever more calories are consumed 

than burned, the excess will be stored 

as fat. Protein not only helps to build 

muscle when combined with resistance 

exercise but also helps to control hunger 

for overweight and obese individuals who 

need to lose excess body fat. Therefore, 

when restricting calories, it is important 

to maintain protein to support lean body 

mass. 


INGREDIENTS 

23 

AN IDEAL MEAL PLAN 

Active nutrition is a complex and scientific 

approach to defining nutrition and meal 

plans for sports enthusiasts. The approach 

is not limited to only defining the calorie 

value of food intake but also various other 

elements like the right timing to consume 

macro nutrients and body types. 

An athlete with an ectomorph body type 

may require a completely different type of 

meal plan from an endomorph athlete but 

this depends on the differences in a lean 

body mass. 

Protein plays a key role in muscle repair 

and growth that is integral to maintaining 

an athletic body geared for endurance. 

Once the total protein required for 

maintaining the lean body including 

the muscles each day is determined by 

bioelectrical impedance or estimated from 

a height and weight chart, then the protein 

needs to be distributed at each meal and 

after exercise. Not just total protein but 

protein at each meal is important since 

muscles do not store protein but take up 

amino acids from the blood stream after 

meals and release them into the blood 

between meals. Muscle protein synthesis 

and breakdown follows this 'ebb and flow' 

pattern between meals and after exercise. 

For average individuals, exercising five 

times per week for 30-60 minutes, a 

protein shake with at least 20g of protein 

should be consumed within 30 minutes to 

one hour after exercise. 

Carbohydrates serve as the primary 

source of energy during activities of higher 

intensity. Eating a load of carbohydrates 

right before a strenuous activity or run 

is essential to keeping the fast emission 

of energy and prevention of burnout. 

Dietary fat also plays a key role in helping 

individuals meet their energy needs as 

well as supporting healthy hormone levels. 

PROTEIN – THE ARCHITECT OF 

MUSCLE POWER 

In general, exercise has profound impact 

on human bodies, as any form of physical 

activity results in structural, metabolic, 

hormonal, neural and molecular 

adaptations that increases the level of 

force or power that is sustained by the 

muscles. Protein is an invaluable nutrient 

for muscles growth and recovery. In 

a research published by the American 

College of Sports Medicine, it is indicated 

that muscle mass is built when the net 

protein balance is positive, in other words 

when muscle protein synthesis exceeds 

muscle protein breakdown. Research 

also shows muscle protein turnover is 

the greatest after people are engaged in 

workouts. 

Dietary protein for athletes plays an 

integral part in growth and repairing 

of their damaged cells and tissues, 

synthesising hormones and enabling a 

variety of metabolic activities in their 

body. Protein can also improve metabolism 

as protein has a higher thermic effect 

than carbohydrates and fats, which 

further escalates the metabolism rate of 

an athlete. Like carbohydrates, protein 


24 

INGREDIENTS 

consumption, if timed rightly, can produce 

desired results. The ingestion of protein 

immediately after exercise and throughout 

a prolonged recovery period is essential to 

stimulating muscle protein synthesis rates 

to facilitate remodelling and repair. 

Muscle protein remodelling, or the dynamic 

process of synthesis and breakdown, is 

required to remove and replace damaged 

proteins with new muscle proteins. It is 

these exercise-induced increases in protein 

remodelling that provide the basis for 

training adaptations that lead to improved 

physical performance. While both protein 

synthesis and breakdown are relevant 

for muscle mass remodelling, exercise 

and feeding-induced protein synthesis 

provide the greatest contribution to the net 

anabolic response at the muscle level in 

healthy adults. 

PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION 

Experts revealed that the consumption 

of good quality protein supplements, 

can produce benefits for both health 

and sporting performance. Sciencebased 

evidence backs the idea that 

protein supplementation can help to 

minimise the loss of muscle mass in 

old people or help those who practise 

sports in which strength is important 

to achieve an optimised level of muscle 

performance. The most common form 

of supplementation would be protein 

powder and whey protein, and plant-based 

proteins such as soy or pea have been 

shown to most effectively promote muscle 

growth and recovery. Protein shakes are 

convenient and useful for active individuals 

and athletes who are on-the-go, especially 

post-exercise when real food sources of 

protein tend to be less accessible. 

It is critical for people engaging in sports 

to take in high-quality protein as they 

contain all the essential amino acids that 

are rich in branched-chain amino acids 

(BCAAs). Leucine, one of the BCAAs, is 

known to play a major role in growth and 

recovery after resistance and or endurance 

training. High-quality protein exists in 

animal-based foods – such as lean poultry, 

beef, fish, dairy, egg products, and whole 

eggs – and plant-based options like 

soybeans and tofu. Then, there is also 

the choice of dietary supplements. In 

today’s world, dietary supplements that 

are NSF Certified for Sport Programme are 

rigorously tested, and are readily available 

to support elite and everyday athletes in 

achieving their personalised fitness goals. 

The most critical knowledge about 

protein and protein supplementations is 

to understand the science behind BCAAs. 

As stated, earlier, BCAAs play a major 

role in muscle growth and recovery after 

workouts. Unlike other amino acids, BCAAs 

are broken down in the muscle, and not in 

the liver, as a study published by Oxford’s 

Journal of Nutrition confirmed. This makes 

them a much more readily available source 

for protein synthesis, which is the process 

of creating muscle. These amino acids 

also act as markers of the initiation of 

protein synthesis, thus activating enzymes 

responsible for building muscle. BCAA 

increases the rate of protein synthesis and 

decrease the rate of protein degradation 

in the muscles. In the end, it’s a simple 

equation – if protein synthesis is greater 

than protein degradation, muscles grow. 

Taking BCAAs during exercise can help 

limit the entry of another amino acid – 

tryptophan – into the brain. Tryptophan 

is converted into serotonin, a brain 

chemical that contributes to fatigue during 

exercise. Furthermore, a study published 

by the Journal of Exercise Nutrition and 

Biochemistry found that BCAAs also help 

preserve our stores of glycogen, which 

is our muscles’ preferred fuel source to 

produce energy. Having a reliable source of 

energy while working out can help athletics 

go stronger for longer. BCAAs are beneficial 

for anyone involved in strength-training or 

prolonged exercise. 

ROLE OF HCP IN THE NEW NORMAL 

Time is one of the factors that is a critical 

enabler for imparting any form of advisory; 

in this case about nutrition and active 

lifestyle. Consumers in Asia-Pacific lack 

knowledge on nutrition in general and, look 

up to HCPs for credible nutrition advice. 

This is one of the most prominent insights 

of the Herbalife Nutrition Myth Survey 

conducted in May 2020, which revealed 

that nearly one-third of the consumers 

find HCPs as the most credible sources of 

nutrition information. 

The pandemic has changed the world 

around us, and HCPs have emerged as 

playing a very significant and impactful 

role. Their involvement in the consumers 

fitness and wellbeing has also increased. 

Consumers in general are more concerned 

about issues and information related to 

food safety, nutrition, fitness and building 

healthy immune function. While social 

media replete with health and nutrition 

information, is widely followed, according 

to the Herbalife Nutrition Survey, it is 

certainly the least trusted. HCPs with 

expert information can fill this knowledge 

gap amidst the consumers by moving 

beyond medication into nutrition, fitness 

and community support. A few simple 

steps like, talking about nutrition during 

their sessions; including nutrition checklist 

or pamphlets and creating nutrition 

communities on WhatsApp or social media. 

HCPs are the most critical hub in this 

pandemic, and their enhanced role will be 

looked up for years to come. 

These are testing times and the times of 

going beyond medication. HCPs in their 

new role of acting as a counsel, must adopt 

the "whole person" approach where, the 

patients are treated holistically - catering 

for their physical, mental and social needs. 

Attempting to better understand not only 

the patients' sickness, but also their social, 

cultural and economic profiles and, above 

all, their expectations can greatly help the 

doctors in this new role. FBA 


Your Gateway to the Great Show on Food Additives and Ingredients 

 

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March 16-18,2021 

National Exhibition and Convention Centre 

NECC (Shanghai) 

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November 10 ~ 12, 2021 

Guangzhou Canton Fair 

Pazhou Complex, China

26 

INGREDIENTS 

Healthy indulgence exists 

By CHRISTIAN PHILIPPSEN 

Obesity has become a 

growing health concern. 

Drivers of the disease 

are a range of interlinked 

factors such as rising 

incomes, urbanisation, shifting lifestyles, 

and genetic factors. The pressure is now 

on for organisations and governments 

to address and fight non-communicable 

diseases arising from obesity, including 

type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular 

disease amongst others. 

In 2019, almost 39% of those aged 

18 and above were overweight 1 , and 

between 2010 and 2014, South East Asian 

countries – including Vietnam, Thailand, 

Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia and 

Indonesia – saw the biggest rise in the 

number of obese adults 2 . Moreover, the 

number of overweight and obese adults 

globally have also shown a marked 

increase over the past four decades 3 . What 

is even more worrying is that South East 

Asia now accounts for about 88 million 

diabetics, almost 20% of global cases 4 . If 

nothing is done to counter act this issue, 

this number will rise to 153 million by 

2045. 

In response to these worrying 

developments, weight management trends 

are also shifting every few years. While 

there have been many different diets 

and habits one can follow to maintain a 

healthy weight, no one can dispute the 

effectiveness of healthy eating habits, 

including keeping a check on one’s calorie 

intake and maintaining an active lifestyle. 

Diets have been identified as the gamechanger 

to managing that healthy number 

on the scale – but how can consumers 

indulgence in their favourite food in a 

guilt-free way? Thankfully, there are 

various options with less calories to 

choose from. 

LOW-FAT AND TASTY? THAT’S NOT 

IMPOSSIBLE! 

Consumers are surrounded by temptations 

every day, and know how hard it is to resist 

a slice of delicious cake on the counter. 

Foods like ice cream, yoghurts, milk and 

cakes pile on the calories with their highfat 

content. Creating low-fat foods might 

be easy, but the challenge lies in creating 

fat-reduced food products that feel and 

taste as good as the full-fat versions. 

However, innovative food ingredients today 

can mimic the mouthfeel of fat with lower 

calories, thus making it possible to enjoy 

calorie-reduced indulgence. 

Asian consumers are increasingly concerned on 

the issue of weight management 


INGREDIENTS 

27 

Orafti Inulin can be used in applications like baked goods, dairy products and cereal bars 

Apart from increasing the fibre content, 

Beneo’s chicory root fibre, Orafti Inulin, 

helps to reduce the fat content in a 

wide range of food products. Due to its 

molecular structure, inulin can stabilise 

water into a creamy structure to mimic 

the texture of fat. Compared to the calorie 

content of 9kcal/g in fats, inulin contains 

only 1.5kcal/g. Its mild, natural taste and 

soluble nature makes it easily incorporated 

into many popular products including 

baked goods, dairy products, and cereals 

bars to make healthier versions of snacks 

that busy people can have on-the-go. 

ENJOY YOUR SWEET TOOTH WITH 

LESS CALORIES 

Sugar is emerging as the bogeyman in the 

obesity crisis. While intense sweeteners 

– no matter whether natural or artificial 

– very often come with an undesired offtaste, 

there are possibilities to cut calories 

while maintaining a sugar-like sweetening 

profile. 

This is particularly important for indulgent 

food items such as confectionery, 

chocolate, cakes, cookies and other sweet 

goods. As consumers become more healthconscious 

and aware of the impact food 

has on them, the time has come to look for 

alternatives to treat the sweet tooth. 

Sugar replacers are such a thing. While 

they provide the bulk in recipes also needed 

when sugar is reduced, they only have half 

the calories of sugar. Isomalt is particularly 

interesting as it is the only sugar replacer 

derived from pure sugar beet. This is why it 

has a similar sweetening profile to sucrose. 

As a result, isomalt has become the top 

sugar replacer in hard candies worldwide. 

The World Health Organization 

recommended that within a healthy 

carbohydrate-based diet, low-glycaemic 

foods are preferred. The replacement with 

isomalt not only results in a lower caloric 

product, it also brings a lower blood glucose 

response because isomalt is very low 

glycaemic. 

Health-conscious and weight watching 

consumers in Asia are driving the trend for 

sugar- and fat-reduced as well as lowcalorie 

foods. Fortifying foods with Beneo’s 

multifunctional ingredients from natural 

sources allow manufacturers to pass 

these benefits onto their consumers while 

maintaining the same good taste and 

texture that they enjoy. This will enable 

individuals to enjoy their favourite foods 

and manage their weight at the same time. 

The need to promote good nutrition cannot 

be ignored, especially when managing with 

a major health inhibitor such as obesity. 

Manufacturers can play a key role in this 

fight, by incorporating Beneo’s functional 

ingredients that can help to provide a 

variety of guilt-free, healthy options for 

consumers in the region. FBA 

Christian Philippsen is managing director 

for Beneo Asia-Pacific. 

REFERENCES 

1. Percentage of people worldwide who were 

overweight as of 2019, by age 

2. The Asean Post – Obesity on the rise in 

ASEAN 

3. World Health Organization – Global Health 

Observatory Data 

4. mClinica - Southeast Asia’s Growing 

Diabetes Epidemic 


28 

ON THE TABLE 

Creating South East Asian flavours with a 

permeate twist 

The dairy industry is undergoing a series of transformation. For instance, technology is more widely adopted 

by farmers to provide insights into milking data, and along the distribution chain to ensure transparency and 

traceability. Consumers, too, are increasingly looking for healthier and sustainable alternatives, bringing forth the 

rise of plant-based dairy alternatives. And on applications, dairy offers an expanded product portfolio covering 

beverages, savoury, desserts and more. Martin Teo, technical director – food applications, South East Asia, 

US Dairy Export Council (USDEC), tells more to Food & Beverage Asia on the opportunities for dairy permeate, 

and how the region is becoming a destination for US dairy exports. 

RIDING THE WAVE OF PERMEATE 

How exactly is permeate obtained, and 

how this ingredient complements to the 

larger dairy products already available in 

the market? Can you also rate the level of 

demand of permeate-added products in 

Asia-Pacific? 

Martin Teo: Dairy permeate, which includes 

whey permeate powder and milk permeate 

powder, is a versatile, multifunctional 

ingredient that is taking off and taking root 

in the global food and beverage industry. It 

is a high-lactose, mineral rich co-product 

of whey and milk protein concentrates, 

produced through the removal of protein 

and other solids from milk or whey via 

physical separation techniques. 

Permeate’s growing popularity can be 

attributed to its wide usage possibilities 

across various end-use categories to 

enhance product quality and cost savings. 

It delivers benefits such as flavour 

enhancement, nourishing minerals, Maillard 

browning, sodium reduction and more. 

Demand for permeate in Asia has 

been climbing, as more manufacturers 

increasingly recognise its potential. 

According to tracking data from Innova 

Market Insights, Asia’s share of total global 

new product launches rose to 10.2% in 

2019, up from 9% in 2018 and 5.6% five 

years ago in 2015. In fact, the Philippines is 

ranked as the fifth largest market globally 

in 2019 for tracked new product launches 

containing permeate. 

What are the challenges food and 

beverage manufacturers face when 

adding permeate into their recipes and 

products, and how is the US Dairy Export 

Council (USDEC) helping them to address 

these issues? 

Teo: Among the key benefits of permeate 

is that the advantages far outnumber any 

challenges. For instance, alongside its 

cost-savings, functionality and sensory 

benefits, permeate can be used in a wide 

range of applications including bakery 

and confectionery products, dairy foods, 

beverages, snack foods, prepared meals, 

desserts and more. It’s no wonder that 

tracked global new product introductions 

around the world have climbed sharply 

over the past 10 years, consecutively 

achieving new records year after year. 

One challenge is simply lack of familiarity 

with the product, particularly how to utilise 

permeate in Southeast Asia-friendly food 

and beverage applications. For example, 

permeate can match locally popular 

flavours and foods, such as pandan or gula 

melaka for cookies and cakes. It can also 

be used as a seasoning for snacks and 

instant noodles, in various flavours such 

as curry. 

We as USDEC are here to provide 

manufacturers with both the ideation 

inspiration of ways to utilise permeate 

in local-friendly applications, alongside 

technical support for how to optimise 

its usage in various food and beverage 

formulations. We can also provide 

assistance with connecting manufacturers 

with US suppliers of permeate. 

One tip we have for customers new to 

using permeate is to experiment with how 

much to add into formulations, tweaking 

the formulation based on trials at different 

usage levels to get the desired flavour and 

sodium reduced level. Another advice, 

depending on the specific application, is 

knowing the total amount of lactose within 

a food product or recipe which may affect 

the taste and texture of the food product. 

This isn’t an issue in bakery products 

where the lactose in permeate provides a 

desirable Maillard browning effect, or in 

seasoning formulations where permeate 

acts as a flavouring carrier. However, in 

dairy formulations like cheese sauce or 

ice cream where the solubility of lactose 

becomes important, all the ingredients 

in the application that contribute 

lactose need to be considered in order 

to determine the optimal amount of 

permeate that can be added to prevent 

a gritty cheese sauce or ice cream. The 

recommendation is not more than 14% 

lactose in the water phase. 

What are the economic incentives behind 

the use of permeate in applications like 

bakery and confectionery and as salt 

substitute? More particularly, how are 

taste, appearance and nutritional values 

being maintained? 


ON THE TABLE 29 

Teo: A reality of the food industry, 

especially in South East Asia, is that cost 

is an important factor when determining 

ingredient usage. The more functionality 

a food processor can get for the same 

cost, the better. First, permeate has 

the potential to directly reduce cost as 

an economical ingredient substitute to 

replace other carbohydrates as well as 

to reduce the use of more expensive 

ingredients like cocoa powder, thanks to its 

flavour enhancement possibilities. 

Second, permeate offers value for money 

through advantageous functionality such 

as colour and flavour development and 

shelf life extension. As a bakery study 

USDEC conducted in collaboration with 

Singapore’s Food Innovation and Resource 

Centre (FIRC) on cookies revealed, 

this can even transcend into shorter 

processing times in bakery applications 

which uses less resources and increases 

production speed, all of which ultimately 

impact the bottom line. 

Third, permeate can improve the nutrition 

label – without sacrificing on taste – 

which similarly offers value for money 

by helping formulators meet nutritional 

targets. For instance, permeate use can 

contribute to the nutritional content of 

beverages through the addition of a natural 

source of valuable dairy minerals, and 

can also support a clean label such as by 

reducing the use of artificial colourings. 

Specifically, permeate provides natural 

Maillard browning during cooking without 

having to add brown or caramel colouring. 

Permeate use can also help reduce sodium 

in application categories such as bakery, 

snacks, seasonings and soups. In general, 

approximately 10g of permeate will replace 

1g of salt. 

It is recommended to balance the addition 

of permeate by reducing other macroingredients 

such as flour, fat, eggs, 

granulated sugar and other carbohydrates. 

For example, one approach to creating a 

softer texture for cookies is to increase the 

fat content, which may not be healthy. With 

permeate, this can be replaced thereby 

reducing the less healthy aspect of the 

reformulation but getting the right result of 

softer cookies. In many instances, a total 

cost-reduced formula can also be achieved 

as permeate replaces other more costly 

ingredients. 

Milk permeate is a coproduct of the production of milk protein concentrate, milk protein isolate, and ultrafiltered 

milk manufacturing 

SE ASIA: A LEADING DESTINATION 

Can you provide us an outlook of US dairy 

export into Asia-Pacific, and what are the 

strategies you have developed to drive 

growth in this region? 

Teo: South East Asia is a leading 

destination for US dairy ingredient exports 

and a rising destination for US cheese, with 

tremendous, yet-untapped future growth 

potential. With an export value of US$934 

million in 2019, South East Asia ranked 

as the second largest destination for US 

dairy exports by value, second only to 

Mexico. Exports of major US dairy products 

to South East Asia reached a new record 

volume of 450,000 metric tonnes in 2019, 

up 2% over the prior year. Dairy ingredients 

such as milk powder, whey ingredients and 

lactose accounted for 95% of that volume, 

and cheese the remaining 5%. 


30 

ON THE TABLE 

In terms of major markets, the Philippines, 

Indonesia and Vietnam accounted for 

nearly 75% of the ingredient export 

volume to South East Asia last year. While 

Singapore is a relatively smaller market, 

it represented 9% of total US dairy 

ingredient exports to South East Asia in 

2019. 

The region’s large middle class buoyed 

by higher purchasing power is certainly 

an important reason why South East Asia 

shows such promising growth potential 

for US dairy. Additionally, the dynamic 

food and beverage industry sector in the 

region alongside rising consumer health 

consciousness are also critical factors 

supporting a continued upward growth 

trajectory. Customers in the region are also 

increasingly recognising the advantages 

of partnering with the large network of US 

dairy suppliers for a sustainably-produced, 

advantageous portfolio of nutritional and 

functional dairy ingredients. 

A key focus of USDEC’s strategy in the 

region is to help jump-start ideation 

and innovation potential with US dairy 

ingredients in local-friendly products that 

meet the taste preferences and lifestyle 

desires and habits of South East Asian 

consumers. The emphasis is on health and 

wellness products that nourish consumers, 

as well as delicious snacks and treats 

that delight consumers. USDEC conducts 

a range of activities to achieve this aim, 

including providing one-on-one or group 

technical training and ideation support, 

alongside sharing information on topics 

such as nutritious research, consumer 

insights, product functionality and 

market dynamics via seminars, webinars, 

marketing materials and videos. 

In terms of other key markets in Asia, 

China, South Korea and Japan are also 

major destinations for US dairy exports, 

with shipments volumes of $374 million, 

$332 million and $283 million respectively 

in 2019. 

How will you summarise the year 2020 

for the dairy and milk industry, and what 

trends do you foresee having a sustained 

impact on the industry in 2021 and 

beyond? 

Teo: The COVID-19 pandemic has had 

many untold effects across all societies 

and the business world, which is not 

unique to the dairy industry. With many 

countries moving into various stages of 

lockdown, it has impacted restaurant 

operations and food manufacturing 

capabilities. 

Despite the pandemic, US dairy exports 

to South East Asia have remained strong 

in 2020, up 72% or the equivalent of just 

under 87,000 metric tonnes additional 

volume shipped through July this year. 

Expanded US skim milk powder exports 

has been a significant driver of this sharp 

rise in 2020, alongside whey ingredients 

as well. 

On one hand, one of the effects of 

COVID-19 has been an increased focus 

on healthy food consumption, which 

includes nourishing products made with 

US dairy ingredients. The pandemic has 

led consumers to be more aware of what 

Permeate is a dairy ingredient produced through the removal of protein and other solids from milk or whey 



they choose to put into their body in a 

quest to stay healthy. Plus eating healthy 

is something consumers can have direct 

control over at a time of much uncertainty 

in their lives. 

This health consciousness will increase 

even more over time, which puts the 

onus on ensuring food products meet the 

evolving needs and desires of consumers. 

This is where innovation with US dairy 

ingredients can help out, and USDEC and 

US dairy suppliers can collaborate with 

South East Asian manufacturers to create 

winning delicious and nutritious new, 

local-friendly products. 

At the same time, more staple and 

indulgence-oriented products such as 

baked good, confectionery and snacks 

which use dairy ingredients like permeate 

and milk powders have also been soughtafter 

during these challenging COVID-19 

times. Also, as consumers cook more 

frequently at home or order takeaway 

instead of dining in restaurants, this is 

also a new opportunity area for US dairy 

ingredients like whey proteins. 

Looking ahead, we as USDEC will continue 

to focus on supporting food and beverage 

manufacturers’ supply and innovation 

needs to create nutritious, delicious and 

sustainable foods that appeal to wideranging 

consumers. This also includes 

enhanced focus on ready-to-eat or readyto-prepare 

meals that can be consumed 

at home. 

US Centre for Dairy Excellence opens in Singapore 

The US Dairy Export Council (USDEC) has 

unveiled a new chapter for its presence 

in South East Asia with the opening of 

the new US Centre for Dairy Excellence 

(US CDE). As its first overseas physical 

investment by USDEC, the US CDE in 

Singapore is funded by US dairy farmers 

and processors, and envisioned as a 

gateway for collaboration between the US 

dairy community and South East Asia’s 

food and beverage stakeholders, the 

culinary sector, health professionals, and 

other partners. 

Joining the virtual opening event was Tom 

Vilsack, president and CEO of USDEC, 

who commented: “The US CDE creates 

an education hub and meeting place 

where relationships can be developed 

and strengthened, where we can share 

market intelligence and insights, spark 

ideation, lead research, and share the 

story of US dairy’s sustainable production. 

It represents a long-term commitment by 

the US dairy industry to the region and 

exports, and recognition of the importance 

of South East Asia as an innovation hub.” 

As today’s technological and societal 

changes continue to drive and reshape the 

food and beverage industry, the US CDE 

will focus on inspiring regionally tailored 

nutrition and innovation solutions with 

US dairy ingredients and cheeses to meet 

evolving consumer needs. The investments 

in the centre will also pave the way 

towards the Future of Food, committing 

to sustainability, deploying technologies, 

strengthening collaborations, and applying 

the latest consumer research. 

Dalilah Ghazalay, regional director, USDEC 

South East Asia, added: “US dairy has 

played a crucial role in the food ecosystem 

and economy of South East Asia over 

the past two decades. Its versatility and 

adaptability to South East Asian food and 

beverage applications is unparalleled. 

As a key part of our programmes, we will 

focus on glocalisation by innovating with 

local ingredients to better suit local taste 

preferences.” FBA 

The new US CDE facility solidifies US dairy industry’s in-region base, elevating customer-centric, innovation-approach to collaboratively seize Future of Food 

opportunities 


32 

ON THE TABLE 

Friso TrackEasy takes parents on a 

journey from grass to glass 

The launch of Friso TrackEasy marks FrieslandCampina’s attempt to lead the trend of greater transparency in 

the food industry worldwide. David Naidu, general manager for FrieslandCampina Singapore, shares more with 

Food & Beverage Asia on the importance to providing traceability over the formula of milk products, and the 

advantages of bringing in control of the entire supply chain from start to end. 

The issue of food safety has 

gained increased visibility 

across the world against the 

backdrop of disrupted global 

supply chains, and growing 

consumer concerns about food sourcing 

and security. Organisations such as the 

Food and Agricultural Organization of the 

United Nations have stepped up efforts 

to promote food safety around the world 

to address consumers’ needs to access 

timely, clear and reliable information to 

make food choices. 

In an attempt to enable mums track 

source of formula milk, Friso, a brand 

under FrieslandCampina, launched Friso 

TrackEasy, a smart packaging innovation 

that allows mums to experience the full 

journey of Friso’s formula milk – starting 

from their Dutch-owned farms to its arrival 

in Singapore – as they hold the tin in their 

palms. 

Friso TrackEasy is built on FrieslandCampina’s 

140-year Dutch dairy expertise and its endto-end 

control of its entire product journey 

to provide mums with batch-specific 

information around Friso’s dairy farming, 

milk collection, production process, quality 

auditing, and export. This offers mums a 

higher degree of transparency over the 

formula milk products, empowering them 

to make well-informed nutrition choices for 

their children. 

David Naidu, general manager for 

FrieslandCampina Singapore, told Food & 

Beverage Asia: “We have an integrated fullchain 

control of every stage of production 

of our formula milk, from grass to glass, 

which ensures that the full chain journey of 

Friso products is seamlessly managed and 

rigorously monitored for product quality 

and safety assurance. As we are one of the 

few dairy companies which owns the entire 

product journey, we are then able to 

provide parents with complete visibility of 

the production process and journey of our 

formula milk via Friso TrackEasy.” 

Friso TrackEasy was first launched in 

Hong Kong in August 2019, and followed 

closely by Mainland China, Malaysia, and 

now Singapore. It will be further expanded 

to other countries including Vietnam, 

Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Greece and 

Mexico. 

Naidu pointed out that parents in Singapore 

have been paying more attention to food 



Arriving at the landing page of Friso 

TrackEasy, parents can click on icons 

to learn more about milk source and 

every level of the journey of their formula 

milk tin 

Friso TrackEasy also showcases Friso’s 

representative farms and quality checks done at 

the farm level 

Friso TrackEasy takes parents through the processes 

of milk collection, packaging, final quality checks 

and more 

sourcing and safety, and those with young 

children are naturally especially concerned 

about the source and production of 

formula milk. He continued: “By combining 

our wealth of expertise in the dairy 

industry and our full supply chain control, 

we are well-positioned to deliver an 

industry-first smart packaging innovation 

that allows parents to experience the full 

journey of Friso’s formula milk.” 

With a simple act of scanning a QR code 

on the tins of Friso Gold with 2’-FL or 

Frisomum milk powder, parents can 

journey through Friso’s milk farming, 

production and quality processes. For 

instance, parents can view information and 

photos of the farms, as well as when and 

what farm quality checks were done, such 

as farm audits, cow health checks, and 

milk quality checks via Friso TrackEasy. 

“QR codes have been around for a long 

time, and many industries have tried 

to utilise the technology for a variety 

of applications beyond food tracking. 

However, as with any form of new 

technology, one of the key challenges is 

getting users to try, and eventually adopt 

the technology,” Naidu said. “The ubiquity 

and sophistication of smartphones 

in recent years have led to QR codes 

becoming widely used across a variety of 

applications. Previously, consumers have 

to download an app on their smartphones 

to scan a QR code; today, consumers can 

easily scan a QR code with their phone 

cameras to access a variety of information 

from e-payments, tracking food sources 

and checking-in to locations digitally.” 

In addition, parents can browse the 

full-chain information of the Friso tin, 

including when the milk was delivered to 

the factory, when the Friso tin was packed, 

relevant quality checks conducted, as well 

as the date in which the approval of the 

Netherlands Controlling Authority for Milk 

and Milk products is received, and finally 

the arrival in Singapore. 

“Through the full breakdown in the 

production and delivery process, we hope 

to give parents a peace of mind and the 

information that they need to make the right 

purchasing decision,” he concluded. FBA 

FOLLOW US 



34 

ON THE TABLE 

A technological milestone in agriculture, 

A sustainable future for planet and generations 

Farming is dubbed one of the oldest professions in the world, yet it plays a critical role in our everyday life – 

from what we wear and use to what we eat, almost everything came from a plant or an animal. Over centuries, 

mankind explored many ways to modernise farming, and with today’s advancement in technology innovation, 

farmers can be equipped with better tools in planting and harvesting their crops. Briony Mathieson, CMO for 

Olam Food Ingredients, tells Food & Beverage Asia how digital technology is transforming the Asia-Pacific 

agricultural industry. 

Marking two years since 

the launch of AtSource, 

Olam has leveraged 

on this sustainability 

insights platform for the 

agricultural supply chain to drive social 

and environmental change for farmers, 

communities and ecosystems. For 

instance, a wider sustainability programme 

triggered by the findings on AtSource 

can be found in the central province of 

Dak Lak in Vietnam, where the company 

engages and trains over 1,500 farmers on 

responsible farming practices, the impact 

of coffee production on the climate, and 

ideal applications of farm inputs. 

Through Olam’s Rainforest Alliance 

programme, the company has also been 

training coffee farmers on intercropping 

their farms with non-coffee trees such 

as pepper, durian, avocado and passion 

fruit, among others. To help build further 

resilience to unstable coffee prices, Olam 

further supplied 34,000 non-coffee 

sapling and facilitated market access for 

these crops by connecting the farmers 

with buyers. 

Speaking with Food & Beverage Asia, 

Briony Mathieson, CMO for Olam Food 

Ingredients (OFI), said: “We have seen real 

the impact that AtSource has had on the 

lives of our suppliers from testimonies of 

farmers around the world. The platform 

has allowed us to invest further in our 

suppliers, offering training and courses to 

develop their skills, which have been highly 

appreciated and have made a quantifiable 

difference to the work our suppliers are 

doing.” 

Olam’s AtSource is designed to help brands 

and businesses shape change on the ground 

and meet multiple social and environmental 

targets, thus increasing resilience in supply 

chains. By connecting businesses directly 

to the source of supply at each stage of 

the product’s journey, traceability is better 

ensured. With AtSource, users can access 

a range of data from their supply chain, 

including insights into how to influence 

sustainability elements for the better. The 

app provides end-to-end metrics, action 

plans and corresponding narratives, 

which can be used by businesses to meet 

sustainability requirements, build confidence 

in their brand, and ultimately transform their 

sustainability initiatives and supply chains. 

“Digital platforms like AtSource are rapidly 

transforming the agricultural landscape in 

Asia-Pacific,” Mathieson claimed. “Our first 

trial of Olam Direct took place with OFI cocoa 

farmers in Indonesia in 2017, for example, 

and our rate of technological advancement 

in the area is always expanding. From 

many of our suppliers not having access to 

technology such as mobile phones, to being 

able to make use of platforms like AtSource 

and our supply chain apps, is an incredible 

step.” 

Another platform he highlighted was the 

Olam Farmer Information System, which 

collects data to work out the yield gap 

on growth against capacity, and makes 

recommendations for the farmers to 

improve efficiency. The platform is also 

able to collect information about local 

schools, transport, clinics and other 

amenities to inform Olam potential 

areas where it can support its suppliers 

further through education and training 

programmes to ensure prosperous farmers 

and food systems. 

“At the end of the day, the goal is to open 

up our technology pursuits to as many 

collaborators as possible so that we can 

help farmers and reduce environmental 

impacts such as land use issues and 

carbon emissions,” he said. 

Olam has also established partnership with 

the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to 

address forest encroachment in the Bukit 

Barisan Selatan landscape in southern 

Sumatra, Indonesia. The collaboration 

enables the latter to leverage on the Olam 

Farmer Information System to survey 

participating farms on the forest frontier, 

recording and monitoring data on farm 

boundaries, coffee yields and productivity, 

the number and age of coffee trees; 

economic, social and health infrastructure; 

and the surrounding ecosystem. This 

also allows the partnership to deliver 

training and incentives to farmers for the 



Photos credit: Olam Food Ingredients 

Olam Direct was developed in 2016/17 to provide smallholder farmers with 

a platform to sell their products while offering greater transparency and 

traceability to support more sustainable sourcing in the agri supply chain 

AtSource, Olam’s sustainability insights platform, is currently providing roughly 500,000 

farms with sustainability support, including access to training 

production of legal and deforestation-free 

coffee. At the same time, this enables 

participating companies to reduce their 

risks of sourcing from the National Park, 

while supporting solutions in priority 

areas. 

“TRANSPARENCY KEY IN DRIVING 

CHANGE” 

Earlier in January this year, Olam 

reorganised its diverse business portfolio 

to create two new coherent operating 

groups – Olam Global Agri (OGA) and 

Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) – that are 

positioned for further growth in line 

with key consumer trends and market 

opportunities. Particularly the latter, it 

offers sustainable, natural, value-added 

food products and ingredients so that 

consumers can enjoy the healthy and 

indulgent products they love. 

OFI consists of Olam’s businesses of 

cocoa, coffee, edible nuts, spices and 

dairy. It has built a global value chain 

presence including its own farms, farmgate 

origination and manufacturing 

facilities. OFI also partners with customers, 

leveraging its portfolio of on-trend food 

products, to co-create solutions that 

anticipate and met changing consumer 

preferences as demand increases for 

healthier food that is traceable and 

sustainable. For instance, where spices 

can replace salt or sugar; where nuts can 

replace animal derived proteins, or where 

dairy products can be fortified further so 

that consumers can get maximum nutrition 

and taste, at minimal cost to the planet. 

Mathieson elaborated: “To achieve this 

requires attention to every aspect of the 

production process, from understanding 

what consumers want and how they live, 

to ensuring our production techniques, 

mechanisms and supply chain are as 

sustainable as possible. You have to look 

at the big picture and consider all the 

factors from the first to the last mile of 

the supply chain. For us, creating and 

maintaining a successful and sustainable 

food system relies on building an onground 

presence with our suppliers and 

farmers, high and low tech across the 

supply chain, and trust and collaboration 

at all levels of the system.” 

The first mile is where most sustainability 

pain points occur, he pointed out, as the 

farmer base is usually remote, highly 

fragmented, and most farmers have low 

literacy rates with little or no access to 

technology, poor infrastructure, and limited 

financing facilities. On the other hand, 

the supply chain is complex with multiple 

intermediaries in play. 

“We estimate that across its five business 

units – cocoa, coffee, nuts, spices and dairy 

– OFI is sourcing directly and indirectly 

from 3.5 million smallholders. Of these, OFI 

is providing around 500,000 farmers with 

sustainability support including training in 

good agricultural practices, access to inputs 

like fertiliser, healthcare and education. 

Of course, scaling that is the biggest 

challenge,” he added. 

Driving progress in this first mile is 

through digital innovation, where 

Mathieson reported that the group has 

been able to facilitate “positive change” 

through technology such as AtSource and 

Olam Direct. He explained that OFI was 

increasingly able to transact with farmers 

who were hard to reach, and provide 

educational text message outreach with agri 

advice, or more recently COVID-19 health 

advice. 

He said: “Olam Direct, for example, 

empowers farmers to get prices and 


36 

ON THE TABLE 

The Olam Farmer Information System makes data-driven recommendations 

to improve farm efficiency, enhance supply chain transparency and support 

wider sustainability initiatives 

Thanks to new technologies such as Olam Farmer Information System, AtSource and 

Olam Direct, Olam can transact with farmers and provide targeted agri advice and 

support to those that were previously difficult to reach 

transact directly with us rather than going 

through intermediaries, which yields not 

only higher prices for farmers but cost 

savings on their expenses, but provides 

greater transparency and traceability to 

the agriculture supply chain to support 

more sustainable sourcing.” 

And on sustainability, the world is less 

than a decade away from the deadline 

set out on the Agenda 2030 Sustainable 

Development Goals (SDGs). Within OFI’s 

five business units, Olam Coffee introduced 

Coffee LENS – standing for ‘Livelihoods, 

Education and Nature at Scale’ – which 

maps the unit’s sustainability targets for 

2025 across its global, direct coffee supply 

chain. Coffee LENS covers 18 origins and a 

sourcing network of an estimated 424,000 

farmers. 

Aligned with the United Nations’ SDGs, 

Coffee LENS focuses on four priority 

areas to improve economic opportunity, 

education and skills, climate action and 

ecosystems in the coffee sector, with the 

following goals: 

• 200,000 households benefitting from 

improved productivity and incomes; 

• All children of coffee farmers in 

Olam’s supply chain have access 

to education and young people are 

engaged in vocational training; 

• Greenhouse gas emission intensity 

from Olam Coffee’s global footprint is 

reduced by 15%; and 

• All Olam’s coffee supply chains are 

deforestation-free with improved soil 

health and biodiversity at landscape 

level. 

The strategy will be achieved through 

collaboration with partners, and builds on 

a decade of sustainability experience, with 

over 60,000 coffee farmers across Africa, 

Asia and South America already receiving 

sustainability support from Olam Coffee. 

OFI’s another business unit, Olam Cocoa, 

also unveiled its sustainability ambition 

for the future of the cocoa sector in 2019. 

Named Cocoa Compass, the strategy 

is aimed to support the creation of an 

environmentally positive, professionalised 

and quality focused cocoa supply chain 

comprising farmers earning a living 

income and whose children have access to 

education. 

Commenting on OFI’s efforts to ensuring 

the SDGs are met, Mathieson said: “It 

can’t be denied that 2020 has served 

as an inflection point; not just because 

of COVID-19, but also through global 

civil society movements. The result 

of this, however, is a real impetus for 

dynamic change. The 2030 deadline 

will be a challenge to achieve, but it is 

not impossible. It’s large companies, 

organisations and government bodies 

who need to be collaborating and 

constantly working towards these goals. 

Transparency will also be key in driving 

change – as being clear about both 

the good and bad in supply chains will 

encourage others to do the same, enabling 

interventions at greater scale. 

“OFI is committed to working towards 

the Agenda 2030 SDGs, but using our 

digital platforms like AtSource and Olam 

Farmer Information System, we can take 

advantage of the data at our disposal and 

transform it into tangible results for our 

suppliers, communities and consumers. 

Using coffee as one example, the Ecocalculator 

on AtSource reveals the total 

environmental footprint for the ingredient, 

broken down into carbon, water and landuse, 

at each stage of its journey – on the 

farm, in processing, and transport to the 

destination port.” FBA 



37 

The Sidel Super Combi Compact 

Performance through Understanding: 

Recovery signs despite looming pandemic 

In a year loomed under the COVID-19 pandemic, travel and supply chains are among some of the most 

heavily impacted. From lockdowns to event postponements and the struggle to stock-up necessities on empty 

supermarket shelves – the pandemic exposed almost all the weaknesses in supply chains for businesses. 

Food & Beverage Asia speaks with Dominique Martin, vice-president for beverage equipment sales, South East 

Asia and Pacific, Sidel, who recently concluded a physical exhibition at ProPak Asia after a hiatus, and how the 

company has adapted to ensuring business as usual for its customers during the pandemic. 

After a brief hiatus, physical 

trade events like ProPak Asia 

finally made its return on 

20-23 Oct 2020 in Bangkok, 

Thailand. One exhibitor 

at the show was Sidel which showcased 

its sustainable end-to-end packaging 

innovations, designed in the spirit of 

circular economy. For instance, the nextgen 

Super Combi Compact is said to allow 

for a footprint reduction of up to 30% 

compared to the previous Super Combi 

model. At the same time, this solution 

also features efficiency enhancement for 

still drinks production due to the new 

filling technology of the Sidel EvoFILL HS 

Still, which ensures a 30% faster filling 

performance. 

Super Combi Compact is integrated with 

five process steps – preform feeder, blower, 

labeller, filler/capper and cap feeder – 

into a compact and smart system that 

delivers continuous performance of up to 

54,000 bottles per hour. Furthermore, the 

new Sidel EvoFILL HS Still filler is packed 

with with proportional filling valves, 

controlled by electro-magnetic actuators, 

thus ensuring hygiene and control of the 

complete filling cycle. EvoFILL HS Still 

can also be equipped with an Internal 

Cleaning System (ICS), minimising water 

and chemical consumption for internal 

cleaning. 

Another highlight at the Sidel booth was 

the Combi BD. The system incorporates 

features of the Sidel EvoBLOW and 

EvoDECO technologies with an integrated 

configuration for fast, safe manufacturing 

and decoration of premium or lightweight 

polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 

packaging at up to 48,000 bottles per 

hour. 


38 


Dominique Martin, vice-president for 

beverages equipment sales, South 

East Asia and Pacific, Sidel, told Food & 

Beverage Asia: “We see ProPak Asia as the 

most important and largest trade event 

for food and beverage, pharmaceutical 

processing, and packaging technology 

in the region. It is the place where the 

roadmap for the industry in South East 

Asia over the coming years is decided 

upon driving business and innovation. It is 

success-oriented, pragmatic, and dynamic. 

Here, brand owners, manufacturers and 

converters can get a glimpse of the future 

of the packaging industry, and in the case 

of Sidel, the new solutions that we are 

developing.” 

Sidel also brought along the ecopackaging 

AYA, which reinforces the 

company’s commitment to sustainability, 

offering a new packaging alternative for 

still water. AYA is a 220ml water bottle 

with a targeted weight of just 5g. It is 

blown from recycled PET (r-PET) preforms, 

and comes with a snap-on tethered cap 

to additionally reduce plastic pollution. 

The bottles’ V-shape offers packaging 

alternatives in terms of compactness 

and reduction of secondary and tertiary 

packaging materials to optimise logistics. 

“The show provides an excellent live 

platform to explain our promise of 

Performance through Understanding, and 

understanding the strategy behind it,” 

he added. “With ground-breaking new 

technologies, products and solutions 

presented here, ProPak Asia is recognised 

as the leading platform for innovation 

within the beverage and liquid food sector 

in South East Asia. It is proving the ideal 

stage where to showcase our markettailored 

technologies, powered by Agility 

4.0 and complemented by performancebased 

services.” 

BUSINESS AS USUAL DURING A 

PANDEMIC 

During the COVID-19 pandemic time, Sidel 

has been able to provide support and keep 

contact with its customers via the Sidel 

Service Online. Available in six languages, 

the e-platform is a web interface that 

provides operators with a personalised 

overview of their installed base and 

real-time information on parts pricing 

and availability. It also offers a one-stop 

shopping for ordering Sidel original spare 

parts, together with faster delivery times 

on offers and orders. 

The web interface provides operators 

with a full overview of their installed Sidel 

equipment, including all relevant technical 

documentation and detailed e-catalogues, 

for intuitive navigation, spare parts search 

and identification. Information about 

the availability and price of spare parts 

is accessible online to maximise uptime. 

Long-term maintenance plans and safety 

lists will secure critical parts to ensure 

continuous line productivity. In addition, 

Sidel’s Parts Administrators are available 

to provide support when operators wish to 

speak with a company expert. 

Martin elaborated on the after-effects 

COVID-19 has had on the company and 

summarised the year for the food and 

beverage industry. He said: “The situation 

is actually similar to other companies or 

businesses, such as prolonged investor 

pending or delayed decision making, 

etc. Private sector companies put more 

concerns on new investments, whereas 

global companies normally keep the 

investment as planned in the budget. 

“Before COVID-19, the overall forecast 

of South East Asia and Pacific (SEAP) 

beverages consumption should have 

increased by 2% in the next three years. 

Nevertheless, owing to COVID-19, 

everything becomes very unpredictable. 

It is assumed that consumption of 

carbonated soft drinks might decrease, not 

just because of the pandemic but also due 

to taxation on sugary in several countries 

and general awareness of healthy 

lifestyles. The demand for health and 

daily consumer goods is still increasing 

such as water, vitamin water, liquid dairy 

product or beer – especially in Vietnam 

and Cambodia.” 

Sidel Combi BD blow-moulding system combines bottle production and labelling in a single machine 

He explained the crisis first hit the sale 

of alcoholic drinks and carbonated soft 

drinks category, as these are the main 

beverages sold in restaurants and bars, in 

addition to the already shifting consumers’ 

interest to healthy products. This is 

followed by premium and brands products 

due to decrease of purchasing power, and 



39 

lastly beauty and personal care industry as 

people spent more time at home. 

The less affected markets, according to 

Martin, are juices, nectars, soft drinks, 

isotonics and teas (JNSDIT) and water 

as well as all products of first necessity 

and home cleaning products. He 

continued: “Reduced disposable income 

among consumers is expected to shape 

their beverage purchasing behaviours, 

prioritising value for money purchases 

rather than products with sustainable 

packaging. 

“Sidel has a portfolio of solutions for 

the production of different beverages. 

So far, we are favoured in the region for 

our aseptic filling in the JNSDIT market. 

A positive sign that we experience this 

year is more recognition within the beer 

and water markets. All in all, we position 

ourselves as a sustainable partner in 

packaging, line design with agile solutions, 

market-tailored innovations and services. 

By providing complete line solutions 

answering our customer needs – we call 

it Performance through Understanding, 

and this is our key drivers for continuous 

improvement.” 

Sidel and Elettric80 enter strategic alliance to provide 

combined packaging line and intralogistics solutions 

Sidel and Elettric80 have commenced 

a strategic alliance to provide 

comprehensive services ranging from 

production to warehouse, distribution 

centre and logistics management for 

beverage and food, home and personal 

care (FHPC) producers. Both companies 

will act as a one-stop source, allowing 

producers to be more flexible, safe and 

sustainable with Smart Factory tailored 

solutions. 

Today, beverage and FHPC producers 

are influenced by different factors that 

are challenging their performance. 

Among others, due to the growing 

e-commerce markets, the need for 

automated warehouses and logistics 

management becomes critically crucial. 

Sidel and Elettric80 have paired up their 

expertise in packaging and automated 

and intralogistics solutions to enable 

producers stay competitive and meet the 

demand of the market worldwide. 

company that shares the same values as 

we do, and I believe that the synergy and 

great teamwork between us will bring 

added value not just to our customers, 

but also to ourselves by opening space for 

learning and innovating together.” 

Elettric80 specialises in integrated, 

automatic intralogistics solutions for highvolume 

manufacturers and distribution 

centres, mainly in the food, beverage 

and tissue sectors. With 300 integrated 

factories across the world, Elettric80 

installed over 2,000 robotic systems, 

5,000 automatic laser-guided vehicles, 

and 35 automated warehouses. 

Enrico Grassi, president at Elettric80, 

concluded: “Packaging lines with highly 

automated and integrated intralogistics 

areas at the end of the line will be the 

future of any production site. Along with 

Sidel, we are taking the next step in 

expanding our business opportunities by 

increasing our customers’ operational 

efficiency and sustainability. We are ready 

to complement this alliance with strong 

expertise in logistics processes.” FBA 

Monica Gimre, CEO for Sidel, said: “A 

strategic alliance with Elettric80 is our 

approach towards achieving our goal of 

providing A to Z services to our customers, 

including intralogistics solutions. We 

are happy to be in a partnership with a 

The alliance between Sidel and Elettric80 will provide producers with Smart Factory solutions for their 

warehousing and distribution needs 


40 


SOMIC relies on AP05 

electronic position 

indicators from Siko 

When companies need packaging machines 

for their products – from coffee capsules, 

cough sweets to batteries or plasters – one of 

the most important aspects of the investment 

is the search for a flexible solution that has 

the ability to manage a wide range of package 

sizes and formats. However, this requires 

intelligent sizes changeovers in order to be 

able to provide such flexibility. Electronic 

position indicators from Siko simplify the 

changeover process on SOMIC packaging 

machines, and ensure simple operator 

guidance and greater process reliability. 

Lid-tray packer SOMIC 424 DT for collecting, grouping and packaging 

products in open cartons or in lid-tray packs 

German packaging company 

SOMIC is known for its 

solutions in end-of-line 

secondary and tertiary 

packaging machines. 

These include wraparound packers, tray 

packers or tray lid packers as well as 

machines for display packaging presented 

to consumers in the supermarket. Here, 

either the wraparound carton has a typical 

tear perforation or, in the tray lid version, 

the lid is removed and the product is 

presented in the tray. 

SOMIC machines are characterised 

primarily by the respective carton 

folded around the product in its primary 

packaging. As a rule, a packaging machine 

consists of a product infeed, through 

which the individual products are fed 

into a collection group. Typically, this is 

a compartment file, which groups the 

products in the way they are to be placed 

in the box later. Depending on whether it 

is a one-piece or two-piece package, a flat 

carton blank is transported from one or 

two carton magazines until the grouped 

product can be pushed onto the flat blank. 

This is finally folded around the product 

protected by the folding head, which 

showcases that the product is being 

handled gently. In the next station, the 

product is then lidded or individually 

sealed, depending on whether it is a 

wraparound or lid tray machine. 

SIKO POSITION INDICATORS: CLEAR 

AND EASY TO READ 

Siko mechanical position indicators 

are installed in all SOMIC machines for 

possible size changeovers to different 

product or packaging sizes. As a Siko 

user for about nine years, SOMIC has 

been using the electronic, bus-compatible 

Siko displays, first the AP04 and now the 

successor model AP05. 

Dr Johann Härtl, head of construction 

at SOMIC, highlighted that the solutions 

are compact, easy to integrate into 

the machine control system, and very 

user-friendly in terms of readability and 

clarity. Elaborating on the adjustment 

on SOMIC customer machines, he said: 

“There are machines with only one format 

setting, so-called Highrunner lines. Other 

customers, on the other hand, have up to 

20-30 formats on the lines and make full 

use of the flexibility. Some even produced 

wraparound and tray packaging on a 

single machine, where a wide variety of 

products need to be packaged.” 

PROCESS RELIABILITY WITH RED/ 

GREEN SYSTEM 

The advantages of monitored size 

changeover, as made possible by the 

integration of the electronic Siko position 

indicators, are faster changeover times, 

ergonomic operation, and high process 

reliability, Siko reported. The operator 

can select the respective format, which is 

stored as a recipe in the machine control 

system, and the machine control system 

will send the new set values to the displays 

to be adjusted. The backlit LCD displays 

are easy to read, and feature green and 



41 

red status LEDs. When the correct value 

is reached by turning a crank, the LED 

changes to green: Position reached. 

Otherwise, the LED will continue to light 

up in red, and readjustment is necessary. 

In addition, arrows also conveniently 

indicate the direction in which adjustment 

is required. 

As the communication interface of the Siko 

position indicators in the machine control 

provides the current position information, 

it is able to ruled out incorrect settings 

that might lead to quality problems or 

even damage to machine parts when 

the machine is restarted. Adjustment 

with electronic displays is more efficient, 

according to Siko, especially on machines 

with many adjustment points and frequent 

changes. The machine has stored all 

default values; target positions no longer 

have to be manually selected from format 

lists. 

MONITORED SIZE CHANGEOVER AND 

“QUICK CHANGE PRINCIPLE” 

With SOMIC, the factors of time savings 

and efficiency are not only ensured by 

Siko’s electronic position indicators when 

changing formats, but also by the Quick 

Change Principle. Here, format parts are 

changed in their entirety in the machine. 

All that is needed to achieve this is a 

quick-release fastener, which means that 

no further tools are required. Integrated 

together, SOMIC packaging machines can 

be converted to new dimensions more 

efficiently. 

Dr Härtl shared that the customers’ 

responses to the electronically monitored 

size changeover was “positive”, and 

elaborated: “The AP05 is optional; 

mechanical Siko meters are installed as 

standard. However, the trend is clearly 

moving towards electronically monitored 

indicators, especially since around 

90-95% of our machines require size 

changeovers.” 

He further predicted an increase in 

demand for the solution, as about 50% of 

SOMIC customers have already deployed 

the electronic version. He added: “The 

digitalisation of machines continues to 

increase, and the AP05 is one more sensor 

that helps me record machine data. For 

example, I know when I have driven which 

batch with which setting, and can save the 

data.” 

NEXT STEP: FULL AUTOMATION 

The next expansion step would be the 

full automation of size changeover via 

actuators. The first concepts are already 

being tested at SOMIC, as the demand 

for increasing machine flexibility while 

simultaneously maintaining high process 

reliability is strong, in order to be able 

to map as many different formats as 

cost-effectively as possible. The more 

adjustment points there are, and the more 

often the formats have to be changed, the 

more automated adjustment becomes. 

SOMIC is already in discussion with Siko 

on fully automated actuators. 

Moritz Müller, PositionLine product 

manager at Siko, concluded: “We are 

happy to provide support for further 

developments and new projects. This 

includes, for example, the integration of 

IO-Link interfaces to simplify integration 

into the machine control system or full 

automation via our add-on-compatible 

compact actuators.” FBA 

The Siko position indicator AP05 with green status LEDs shows a correct 

machine setting 

The AP05 electronic position indicator ensures correct machine settings and 

fast changeover times 


42 


Making a business case for cold aseptic filling 

In recent years, aseptic technology has become well-established in the food and drink sector as a filling technique. 

Yet some businesses are still unaware of its benefits or do not believe that it can be used with their products. 

Matt Hale, sales and marketing director at HRS Heat Exchangers, decodes the stages across an integrated aseptic 

filling line, and makes a business case for aseptic filling. 

As consumers have become 

more health conscious, 

the demand for food and 

drink products without 

preservatives has increased. 

However, traditional methods of combining 

sterilisation with hot filling have not 

been suitable for products which are 

increasingly sold on their ‘fresh’ and 

‘natural’ characteristics, due to the effect 

on product quality. 

Most aseptic filling solutions combine 

pasteurisation, sterilisation and filling in 

an integrated solution 

In most cases, hot filling sterilises the 

container as the product, which is still 

hot from cooking or sterilising, is filled. 

However, the temperatures required often 

have unwanted effects on the quality of the 

product, and the heat imposes restrictions 

on the type of container which can be used 

– for example, hot filling of lightweight 

plastic drink bottles can lead to distortion 

of the plastic. 

Consequently, cold aseptic filling has 

become a common technique with drinks 

manufacturers for products including UHT 

milk, fruit juices, and sports and energy 

drinks. Its flexibility means that it is 

suitable for a wide range of products from 

fresh fruit dices and purees to marinades 

and dairy products. This diversity has also 

seen the development of a wide range of 

fillers and packaging types, from pouches 

and lidded trays through to bulk bags and 

intermediate bulk containers (IBCs). 

Aseptic filling systems generally combine 

a number of elements into a single 

integrated production line. This integrated 

approach helps to ensure microbiological 

safety throughout the process from initial 

treatment through to the sealing of the 

finished product. The steps included in an 

integrated aseptic filling line, such as the 

HRS Asepticblock, typically include: 

1THERMAL TREATMENT 

Although in theory this can be 

any thermal treatment which reduces 

harmful bacteria such as pasteurisation, 

sterilisation or cooking, in practice, the 

types of product which are most likely to 

benefit from aseptic filling are those which 

are pasteurised or sterilised. This step 

usually comprises a suitable tubular heat 

exchanger, such as the HRS MI, DTA or AS 

Series. 

2 

COOLING WHERE NECESSARY 

Depending on the product, 

production process and packaging used, 

it may be necessary to cool the product 

following pasteurisation or sterilisation. In 

some situations, such as the production 

of cooked items like soups and sauces, 

this step may actually form the first part 

of the integrated aseptic line, receiving 

hot cooked product from elsewhere in 

the factory. In such cases, the AS Series 

heat exchanger will be used. If cooling the 

product is likely to increase its viscosity, 

then a scraped-surface unit, such as the 

Unicus Series or R Series heat exchanger, 

may be used. 

3STERILISATION OF THE 

PACKAGING 

Prior to filling, packaging is normally 

sterilised using thermal or chemical 

methods like peroxyacetic acid or 

hydrogen peroxide, although in many 

production environments the packaging 

is supplied pre-sterilised in aseptic 

packaging that can be put into the filling 

line without contamination. However, 

the packaging is sterilised, it is vital that 

aseptic conditions are maintained between 

sterilisation and sealing, and this is 



43 

The HRS Aseptic Block Series is a packaged steriliser and aseptic filler 

another reason for adopting an integrated 

aseptic processing solution. 

4 

FILLING AND SEALING UNDER 

ASEPTIC CONDITIONS 

There are numerous systems of aseptic 

filler on the market, but all try to balance 

speed, accuracy of operation and flexibility 

of filling when working with different 

products and containers, while maintaining 

the microbial integrity of the product and 

the sterility of the containers – including 

suitable cleaning-in-place (CIP) systems 

before, during and after production. 

Depending on the product and how it is 

packaged, filling may be based on weight 

or volume and appropriate sensors – such 

as weigh cells of flow meters – and control 

systems will be included in the filler 

machinery. The AF Series of aseptic fillers 

meet all of these criteria, and is suitable 

for both high and low acidity products. 

Once filled, there are many ways that 

aseptic packaging can be sealed; from 

screw-capping bottles to heat sealing 

pouches or putting lids on bulk containers. 

These mechanisms may also include some 

form of tamper-evident system to alert 

customers or consumers if the pack has 

been opened since filling. 

THE BUSINESS CASE FOR ASEPTIC 

FILLING 

There is of course a financial investment 

required to install aseptic filling 

technology, but when considering a cost 

and benefit analysis, some of the factors to 

consider include: 

• Volume: Aseptic filling lines normally 

operate on a continuous basis and 

therefore are much faster than batch 

cooling operations. 

• Quality: Probably the biggest 

driver towards aseptic filling is the 

improvement in product quality. Any 

heat treatments can be driven by 

product requirements, rather than the 

need to sterilise the container, making 

high temperature, short time (HTST) 

pasteurisation feasible in many 

cases. This preserves key quality 

characteristics like taste, nutrient 

content and colour. 

• Flexibility: Most aseptic filling lines 

can be configured to supply a 

range of products and fill a range 

of containers include polyethylene 

terephthalate (PET), high-density 

polyethylene (HDPE), low-density 

polyethylene (LDPE), glass, cans, foil 

and more. Not only does this increase 

flexibility, but also helps to futureproof 

installations. 

• Packaging: Although there may be an 

increase in costs associated with the 

need to purchase sterile packaging, 

many packaging types used in aseptic 

filling are generally lighter than their 

hot-fill equivalents. 

When considering aseptic filling, 

companies need to weigh up the safety 

of the proposed solution with capital 

and operating costs, operational safety 

considerations, and the effect on product 

quality. In most situations, the business 

case to adopt cold filling quickly becomes 

apparent. FBA 


44 


Accelerating F&B 4.0: How automation and 

differentiation can help move the industry forward 

The concept of digitalisation is more than the deployment of technologically-advanced equipment and solutions 

to streamline operations. Instead, a successful digital transformation goes beyond to encompassing the people 

and their mindsets, shifting the way they work with new tools towards success. Andrew Dalziel, vice-president of 

F&B industry and solution strategy at Infor, shares more with Food & Beverage Asia on his vision for Food and 

Beverage 4.0, and the urgent need to embrace digital tools at each stage of the food supply chain. 

In your opinion, how do you see 

the pace of digitalisation in the 

Asia-Pacific food and beverage 

space compared to other regions 

and industries? More particularly, 

how will digitalisation support 

businesses’ transformation in 

the face of the Fourth Industrial 

Revolution? 

Andrew Dalziel: The Asia-Pacific food 

and beverage market remains one of 

the world’s largest, fastest growing, and 

most diverse industries. The industry is 

deeply rooted in human connections that 

have typically been delivered through 

service front liners, with a strong heritage 

in traditional processes designed to 

maintain high standards of service quality. 

Digitalisation can be challenging, as 

transformation hasn’t been top-of-mind 

for many industry players. However, ongoing 

trade tensions, crises and rampant 

uncertainties in the market are forcing the 

sector to rethink its daily operations and 

strategies for the future. 

Today, Industry 4.0 is no longer a pipe 

dream or far-off idea for the food and 

beverage sector. Instead, it is encroaching 

a lot faster and sooner than businesses 

realise. Even in traditionally labourintensive 

sector such as agriculture, 

farmers are now looking to the likes of 

autonomous vehicles, drones, the Internet 

of Things (IoT) sensors, image processing 

and artificial intelligence to sort raw 

materials. Further down the distribution 

chain, IoT devices and GPS tracking are 

also being introduced to manage reusable 

bins, crates and vehicles. And to support 

these processes while managing and 

maximising the use of data, food and 

beverage players are looking to cloud 

platforms to address their needs. 

Across the food and beverage value 

chain, organisations are now pressed to 

either lead the charge in technological 

advancement and innovation or fall by 

the wayside. So, it is now imperative 

that food and beverage players look to 

digitalise their operations and embrace 

the integration of technology across all 

layers of the business. From forecasting 

changes in supply and demand with 

changing consumer buying patterns, 

to employing robotics and automating 

production cycles, digitalisation has and 

will continue to be a strategic enabler for 

food and beverage organisations, enabling 

them to pivot nimbly, innovate quickly, 

and capitalise on market opportunities. 

And this isn’t just applicable in the face 

of on-going crises and challenges, but in 

navigating a changing business landscape 

as well. 

With other technologies like 

blockchain and cloud, how do you 

see them fit into each stage of the 

food supply chain? 

Dalziel: I see technologies like cloud 

being relevant and readily applicable 

across every stage and segment of the 

food supply chain. Cloud offers immense 

capabilities that go beyond providing 

storage for one’s data, but it can 

transform the way F&B players approach 

their operations – empowering them to 

simplify and streamline processes to 

work faster and more intelligently across 

their organisation, respond faster to new 

developments and capitalise on new 

opportunities. 

For starters, cloud-based enterprise 

resource planning (ERP) systems equip 

businesses with the means to map out 

their operations efficiently and effectively, 

with an end-to-end overview of their 

people, products and processes. This 

enables food and beverage players 

to forecast potential changes and 

disruptions, right from their sources 

of supply and producer, to the end 

customer. With this information stored 

in a single, unified platform in the cloud, 

and integrated with networked business 

intelligence, enterprises are better able 

to analyse and anticipate how changes 

may impact their value chain and adapt 

accordingly. Ultimately, having this 

insight empower organisations to stay 

adaptable to evolving developments and 

disruptions in the market, and keep ahead 

of the curve. This will be a key priority for 



45 

organisations as they look to navigate an 

economic landscape rife with uncertainty. 

Cloud software also enables employees 

to access their systems to perform 

transactions or gain insights into data, 

wherever they work – which supports 

today’s remote work requirements as 

well. In addition, a cloud-native solution 

allows a food and beverage organisation 

to continually receive and adopt new 

innovations, so that they can stay 

competitive and differentiated without the 

need for major software upgrades every 

few years. 

Ultimately, what sets businesses apart 

from others in their transformation efforts 

is a deep understanding of how cloud 

technologies can move the needle for their 

organisation; and this includes having the 

expertise to deploy it intelligently. The food 

and beverage industry is incredibly diverse. 

So, having a sector-specific software 

stack that caters to various segments of 

the market can be a gamechanger for 

enterprises. What this allows them to do is 

to adopt industry best practices and drill 

down into the nuances of their businesses, 

to better tailor technology to their 

operational needs. 

For instance, dairy producers or 

manufacturers of perishables benefit 

more from tighter shelf life and product 

seasonality management, while the 

protein industry needs deep capabilities 

to manage yield and catch weight. These 

agile methodologies can also scale with 

businesses as they evolve and expand 

into new geographies. Instead of a oneoff 

digitisation exercise, businesses are 

thus empowered and equipped with the 

agility to tailor and tweak one’s cloud 

infrastructure in accordance with changing 

industry needs – which gives them a 

strategic business advantage. 

technologies such as blockchain, mainly 

around food traceability for food safety and 

transparency. I believe that for blockchain 

to become more widely adopted, it will need 

to be driven by retailers. 

What are some of the key concern 

companies have when embracing 

digital tools in their workflow, 

and how is Infor helping them to 

overcome these challenges? 

Dalziel: Companies are often war of the 

costs associated with digitalisation, but 

more so long-drawn implementations, and 

the risks of operational disruptions in the 

process. It is not uncommon for companies 

to only see the fruit of their transformation 

a few years after the implementation has 

begun. 

At Infor, we aim to lower these barriers to 

tech adoption and address the challenges 

with implementation head-on, with our 

Agility 60:30:10 approach. Our business 

cloud solutions are tailored to industry 

needs from the get-go, which enables 

organisations to utilise out-of-the-box 

pre-configurations that deliver on 60% 

of their business needs – the core of their 

offerings. This shaves significant time off 

the implementation timeline, as less time 

is spent on customisation, and enables 

organisations to keep delivering on their 

operations, with less risk for disruptions. 

The remaining processes are the 

reserved for flexibility and customisation 

to businesses’ specific needs. Thirty 

percent is allocated to processes that are 

differentiators for our customers, which 

we spend more time on – with specific 

guidance on configuration options that 

they can tailor and configure to best 

fit their business needs. This could be 

suggestions on how to operate a process, 

tweak an output document or interface. 

The final 10% is then allocated to 

processes that are highly differentiated 

and unique to our customers – this is 

often the gamechanger for the enterprise, 

which helps them make dramatically 

better decisions, and deliver on greater 

experiences in their customer supply 

chain. By reducing the work within the 

60% that makes up core processes, 

we free up customer time and Infor 

resources to hone in on the 30% and 

10% processes, which help our customers 

strategically to deliver better business 

outcomes. 

This approach has worked tremendously 

well for us. Our Clash of the Titan 

industry report shows that across 

the board, our customers report the 

shortest implementation times and 

operational disruptions, while seeing 

significant differences in their operations. 

Digitalisation doesn’t always have to be a 

costly and cumbersome task to undertake, 

and I believe we are changing this 

perception with every customer at Infor. FBA 

Aside from cloud, some food and beverage 

organisations are experimenting with 


46 FIRST LOOKS 

Bühler 

Bühler launches new Arrius grinding solution for the milling industry 

Bühler has unveiled a new age in milling 

technology with the launch of Arrius, an 

integrated grinding technology for milling 

wheat, durum, rye, barley, corn and spelt. 

The launch follows a rethink of the 

traditional grinding methods that lie 

at the heart of the milling process. By 

redesigning each technology component, 

Bühler has produced an integrated and 

self-adjusting grinding system that 

empowers millers with greater control 

over the quality and consistency of their 

product. 

Arrius has an integrated drive and gearbox, resulting in energy cost savings of up to 10% 

At the heart of the Arrius step change lie 

the sensors in the feeding module and 

the roller pack enabling control of the 

product flow and grinding process. It 

allows Arrius to automatically adjust to 

the characteristics of the raw material. 

Double-sided sensors in the new roller 

pack allow millers to continuously measure 

the grinding force of the rollers. This 

feature also allows the miller to control the 

grinding process closely and thus optimise 

product characteristics for their specific 

market. 

Besides the particle size distribution, 

starch damage is a parameter that can 

be improved. According to Bühler, Arrius 

allows millers to better control the grinding 

process of the product and increase starch 

damage by up to 10% if required. And on 

energy, Arrius has also been designed with 

an integrated drive and gearbox, resulting 

in energy cost savings of up to 10%, the 

company added. 

Commenting on the new technology, Dan 

Dye, CEO of Denver-based Ardent Mills, 

who has been working as a development 

partner with Bühler on the project, said: 

“Arrius is a perfect fit and our people 

are excited about it. Arrius will enable 

A remote app allows operators to control all grinding parameters from anywhere within the mill’s network 

us to deliver the best flour quality to our by enabling under-machine cleaning. 

customers through precision milling. With Furthermore, an electronically lockable 

Arrius, Bühler is setting a new industry cover and hand guard protection provides 

standard for high-end flour milling 

operational safety to protect staff. 

applications.” 

Stefan Birrer, head of business area milling 

Arrius’ new features include a remote app solutions at Bühler, concluded: “We have 

that can be loaded on smartphones or been building mills for decades and we 

tablets from which an operator can control realised that if we wanted to keep running 

all grinding parameters from anywhere them in the same way, then we had maxed 

within the mill’s network. 

out on most of the existing concepts. 

Fully leveraging the potential of digital 

Other features include a feeding module technologies, while also transferring 

designed for total product discharge. methods from other industries demanded a 

A streamlined design and increased complete restart. It meant we had to embark 

aspiration in the grinding chamber 

on green field engineering. High-precision 

also cut product deposits. The hygienic autonomous milling is not a luxury, it will 

levelling feet that support the machinery become key to remaining successful in a 

are designed to improve food safety tough market environment for millers.” ■ 


FIRST LOOKS 47 

Igus linear guides for a quick movement in spice vending machine 

Igus 

Igus drylin W linear guides have been 

deployed for the development of a vending 

machine for packaged spices. The vending 

machine was developed by five students 

from Heubach, together with engineers 

and trainees from EMAG LaserTec. With the 

assistance of the young engineers support 

(yes) from igus, the young inventors opted 

for the drylin W linear modular system for 

the mechanics. 

Jens Gruber who supervised the project 

at EMAG LaserTec, said: “The students 

quickly decided to construct a spice 

vending machine for supermarkets in order 

to speed up selection and shopping. In 

order for the system to be able to take the 

right spice out of the machine, we needed 

long-lasting and smooth linear guides are 

the axes. So, the students contacted igus.” 

A total of three linear guides from the 

drylin W modular system are used in the 

machine to ensure that all compartments 

are easily accessible, so that the 

appropriate spice can be taken out and 

delivered. 

In the guide carriages of the linear 

rails, igus relied on wear-resistant, 

high-performance polymers. The triboplastics 

in the sliding elements are free 

of lubricants, and are suitable for use in 

the food sector. As there is no lubricating 

grease, no dirt can stick to the linear 

carriage and block the guide. 

A belt drive was chosen to drive the z-axis. 

The issue here was the high vibrations, 

which the guides were able to successfully 

absorb. The drylin technology is used not 

only in innovative spice machines, but also 

in other machines such as ATMs, drinks 

machines and even in automated order 

picking systems in pharmacies. ■ 

Igus’ drylin W linear guides ensure lubrication-free 

adjustment in the spice vending machine 



Datalogic 

Datalogic develops compact HandScanner 

Datalogic, an automatic data capture and 

process automation solutions provider, 

has introduced HandScanner, a hands-free 

wearable scanner. Capable of scanning 

from 10-150cm, HandScanner can be 

deployed for a broad range of tasks 

in transport, logistics, warehousing, 

manufacturing, retail, and healthcare 

industries. 

Weighing 40g and measuring 

50x45x16mm, the HandScanner 

complements Datalogic’s range of 

advanced industrial scanning equipment 

designed to deliver efficiency, accuracy, 

reliability and ergonomic benefits to 

demanding industries. It is integrated 

with LED indicators, acoustic and haptic 

feedbacks, allowing it to be used in 

different environments. The hand trigger 

can be used with or without gloves, and 

is available in different sizes, right or left 

hand, with an optimum fit provided by the 

variable Velcro fastener. 

HandScanner has a scanning range between 10- 

150cm, allowing it to support tasks in logistics, 

warehousing, manufacturing, and more 

Stefano Pistis, product manager for 

Datalogic, explained: “Compared to ring 

scanners, the HandScanner is thinner 

and is positioned on the back of the 

hand, therefore it is less intrusive and 

less exposed to hits than a ring scanner 

that stays on the fingers of a worker. 

This durable, practical and ergonomic 

design results in up to a 20% reduction 

in scanner damage. A fully-charged 

HandScanner battery can last almost two 

working shifts, running up to 15 hours and 

10,000 scans. With a two-slot charging 

station, the battery can be fully recharged 

in two hours.” 

Equipped with a megapixel sensor, the 

HandScanner captures 1D/2D barcodes, 

and is available in two models – a standard 

range designed for close range scanning 

between 10-80cm for manufacturing, 

retail and healthcare applications; and a 

mid-range model with a scanning range 

of 30-150cm, which covers applications 

in transportation and logistics such as 

warehousing, plant floors, docks, and stock 

yards. 

Datalogic’s HandScanner is designed to 

work with static, semi-static, and dynamic 

workstations. With Bluetooth connectivity, 

it is able to communicate with mobile 

and industrial computers, smartphones 

and tablets. It can also be paired with 

Datalogic’s hand-held and vehicle-mounted 

computers to provide workings with a full 

data collection solution for all applications. ■ 

Krones 

Krones employs deep learning for empty bottle inspection 

Krones has scaled up its inspection 

technology with the integration of a 

deep learning software in its Linatronic 

AI to automatically detect and classify 

anomalies. 

The foundation for deep learning is an 

artificial neural network (ANN). The ANN 

can be described as a complex system of 

multiple consecutive filters. The images 

captured during the inspection process are 

fed through these filter layers, one after 

the other. Each layer extracts a different 

characteristic of the image. Since one 

filter’s output becomes the input for the 

subsequent filter, the complexity of an 

image’s characteristics can be increased 

“almost infinitely”. The chain ranges 

from identifying dark or light pixels to 

classifying specific objects such as water 

droplets. 

To ensure that the Linatronic AI applies 

these filters with the necessary precision 

in practice, it is trained ahead of time 

with pre-classified example images. In 

this way, its neural network learns to 

filter out and interpret the relevant image 

characteristics. Krones continually finetune 

the Linatronic AI’s neural network 

using thousands of example images until it 

could accurately distinguish water droplets 

from other anomalies. 

As a result, waste of material due to false 

rejects is minimised. Furthermore, the 

neural network does not require manual 

calibration to local conditions. Instead, the 

Linatronic AI is delivered fully trained and 

ready to start work. ■ 

The new Linatronic AI employs deep learning 

technology for automatic image detection 



Stora Enso and Tetra Pak to explore the building of a recycling line for 

used beverage cartons 

Stora Enso and Tetra Pak have joined 

forces to explore the possibility of building 

a new recycling line to increase the 

recycling of used beverage cartons (UBC) 

in central and eastern Europe. 

The two partners have initiated a study to 

assess the viability of building a largescale 

recycling line for UBC at Stora Enso’s 

Ostrołęka Mill in Poland. In the model, 

Stora Enso will pulp and separate the 

fibres from UBC at the facility, and use the 

recycled fibres as raw material, while Tetra 

Pak will secure the recycling and reuse of 

polymers and aluminium which shall be 

processed by a dedicated partner. 

If realised, the annual capacity of the new 

recycling line would be 50,000 tonnes 

of UBC. This will increase the recycling 

capacity for beverage cartons across 

Europe, raising the European beverage 

carton recycling rate from the current 

51%. In the first stage, the recycled postconsumer 

beverage carton material will 

come from countries in central and eastern 

Europe. 

Markku Luoto, spokesperson for Stora 

Enso, commented: “A new line would 

be the next step in the circularity of 

packaging materials, in helping make 

our customers’ brands circular. Beverage 

cartons are widely recycled in Europe 

today, and we want to use our knowledge 

of fibres and board to promote and 

accelerate the recycling and collection of 

beverage carton materials. 

“Our process at Ostrołęka Mill already uses 

recycling materials. We are interested in 

developing the already well functioning 

recycling system and using high-quality 

UBC fibres.” 

Munson introduces new Rotary Batch Mini Mixer 

Munson Machinery has developed a new 

sanitary Rotary Batch Mini Mixer on a 

mobile frame, which can de-agglomerate 

and blend up to 142 litres of dry bulk 

ingredients with or without liquid additions 

at multiple plant locations. 

The mixer, model MX-5-S316L, is able to 

achieve total uniformity in 2-3 minutes, 

regardless of disparities in the bulk 

density, particle size, flow characteristics 

or ratio of batch ingredients down to one 

part per million, the company claimed. 

For dry materials, it is down to 15% or 

21 litres of rated capacity, meeting varied 

production requirements, while allowing 

small-scale testing prior to blending at full 

capacity or scaling up to high-capacity 

Rotary Batch Mixers. 

Mixing flights within the rotating vessel turn, 

cut, fold and tumble material onto a rotating 

intensifier that reduces soft agglomerates 

into discrete particles. The 0.75kW gearreduced 

drive of the vessel and 1.5kW drive 

of the intensifier are wash-down rated, and 

adjusted by variable-frequency controls 

housed in an IP 66-equivalent stainless 

steel wash-down enclosure. 

The mixer is equipped with a product inlet 

slide for ease of feeding from bags or boxes, 

and an inlet-mounted spray line that allows 

liquid additions to be spread over a wide 

bed of moving materials in large or trace 

amounts for rapid, uniform distribution. 

Blended batches can be discharged 

completely through a breech-lock plug gate 

with no segregation or residual waste. 

A Tetra Pak carton package 

folded for recycling 

The study is expected to be completed 

in six months, after which the possible 

decisions about the project and timeline 

will be confirmed. ■ 

The unit can be rolled to a cleaning station, 

and accessed through a hinged door on the 

vessel side wall for unobstructed wash down 

and visual inspection of all interior surfaces. 

Munson offers six Rotary Batch Mini Mixer 

models with maximum batch capacities of 

7-425 litres or 1-544kg. ■ 

Munson’s Rotary Batch Mini Mixer, model MX- 

5-S316L, blends up to 142 litres of dry bulk 

ingredients, with or without liquid additions, in 2-3 

minutes, fully evacuates the batch and sanitises 

rapidly with no tools 

Stora Enso - Tetra Pak Munson Machinery 



SIG 

SIG secures 100% of its paper board as FSC-certified 

Starting January 2021, 100% of the paper 

board used in SIG’s packs will be procured 

as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) 

certified, and matching FSC’s standards 

for responsible sourcing. 

FSC certification, backed by NGOs 

such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), 

helps forests and the communities 

that depend on them thrive. To achieve 

certification, forestry operations must 

meet the standards for responsible forest 

management to support biodiversity, 

prevent deforestation and degradation, 

and respect the rights of local 

communities and indigenous people. 

Samuel Sigrist, chief financial and 

commercial officer for SIG, said: “We 

now aim to go even further in supporting 

sustainable forests – and the climate 

benefits they bring – as we partner to 

create a net-positive food supply system 

that puts more into society and the 

environment than it takes out.” 

By sourcing 100% of its paper board as 

FSC-certified, SIG affirms its commitment 

to supporting the United Nations 

Sustainable Development Goals, the 

Paris Agreement on climate change, the 

European Union (EU) Biodiversity Strategy, 

and the forthcoming EU Forestry Strategy. 

Kim Carstensen, director general at the 

FSC, concluded: “Forests play a critical 

role in supporting the world’s ecosystems 

and regulating the climate. By sourcing 

100% FSC-certified board, SIG is helping 

to protect our forests – and the planet – 

for future generations and setting a strong 

example for others to follow.” ■ 

100% of the paper board used in SIG’s packs will 

be procured as FSC-certified (Photo credit: SIG) 

Mettler-Toledo 

Mettler-Toledo adds AR Customer Support to raise the bar on product 

inspection uptime 

Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection has 

introduced an Augmented Reality (AR) 

Customer Support service the enables 

remote identification of the cause of 

product inspection equipment issues and 

facilitates Mettler-Toledo engineers to 

instruct on-site manufacturing staff to 

rectify the problem. This helps to maximise 

production uptime, save costs and 

comply with COVID-19 social distancing 

requirements. 

The service allows manufacturers to 

connect remotely to the Mettler-Toledo 

Service Team to deliver diagnostic and 

repair services for both hardware and 

software. In addition, it can be used to 

support the delivery of Remote User 

training and equipment start-up. AR works 

by enabling the users to interact with 

objects by placing virtual spatial markers, 

AR Customer Support protects production uptime 

and costs irrespective of manufacturing location 

highlighting aspects and adding text 

annotations to a live video stream of the 

product inspection equipment. 

Fabian Kramer, service product manager, 

Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection, said: 

“AR Customer Support is a slick, intuitive 

and interactive tool that will set new 

standards in fast break-fix support times, 

putting our engineers right there, next to 

our customers, wherever they may be in 

the world. Most importantly, customers will 

benefit from significantly less downtime, 

helping them to operate at peak performance 

for longer. Plus, AR makes social distancing 

measures easier to maintain.” ■ 



Key Technology introduces new VERYX BioPrint hyperspectral sorter 

Key Technology, a member of the 

Duravant family of operating companies, 

has introduced the VERYX BioPrint digital 

sorter. Combining near infrared (NIR) 

hyperspectral detection with colour 

cameras, VERYX BioPrint analyses a richer 

set of data about the materials it is sorting 

to improve detection performance and 

maximise process yields. Key’s VERYX 

BioPrint C140 sorter for nuts removes 

shells, foreign materials (FM) and product 

defects, as well as shape sorts and colour 

grades to maximise product quality while 

virtually eliminating false rejects. 

to identify and move difficult-to-detect 

FM and defects, without the yield loss 

generated by inadvertently directing good 

product to the reject stream, even when 

defect loads are high. 

Marco Azzaretti, director of marketing 

at Key, explained: “Our new BioPrint 

hyperspectral imaging system gives us 

superior flexibility to tailor optimal sort 

solutions for each customer application. 

Nut customers are already using VERYX 

BioPrint in their operations and have 

proven its success – they’re experiencing 

outstanding product quality and ease of 

“complete removal” of shell and FM wit the 

highest good product yield. 

Sorting up to 8 metric tonnes of product 

per hour, VERYX BioPrint C140 can be 

deployed for sorting nuts from preselection 

to final grading. It works as a 

standalone sorter, either in line or batchfed, 

and in a cascading line of multiple 

sorters, depending on the needs of the 

processor. 

“We plan to develop VERYX BioPrint 

sorters for other applications where 

chemometric detection offers performance 

Sorting walnuts, almonds, pistachios, 

cashews and other nuts, VERYX BioPrint 

removes shells, rocks, sticks, glass, 

plastics, moisture-related defects, insect 

and other surface damage, rot, mould 

and more while colour grading and shape 

sorting to meet strict product quality 

specifications. 

use.” 

The accuracy of the BioPrint detection 

system is complemented by VERYX’s 

high-resolution ejection system, which 

features minimal spacing between air 

nozzles to better target objects identified 

for removal. Intelligent software manages 

the air nozzles’ actuation strategy to 

and customer value. The next frontier 

of optical sorting is improving the 

identification of internal defects and 

other conditions that are not discernible 

by inspecting the surface of objects,” 

Azzaretti added. “Hyperspectral imaging 

also has tremendous potential to 

select product on the basis of its taste 

properties. For example, VERYX BioPrint 

VERYX BioPrint C140 can be equipped with 

front- and rear-mounted hyperspectral 

imaging sensors for all-sided inspection of 

each object in the product stream. It can 

be configured with colour cameras and 

Key’s new Bio Fusion detection technology, 

which fuses information from both sensor 

types to identify and remove a wide 

range of FM and defects from the product 

stream. 

suit the objects’ size, shape and weight. 

The combined precision of VERYX’s 

detection and ejection systems results in a 

C140 can help processors of Spanish-style 

almonds detect individual so-called bitter 

almonds.” ■ 

Key Technology 

Hyperspectral imaging utilises more 

wavelengths of information than other 

NIR inspection systems to detect the 

chemometric and biological properties of 

objects. Multi-channel, high-resolution 

colour cameras facilitate “precise” colour 

grading and shape sorting. On the other 

hand, Bio Fusion combines pixel-level 

data from the hyperspectral sensors and 

colour cameras to produce a “signature” 

associated with each material substance 

that passes the sorter. This enables VERYX 

The VERYX BioPrint digital sorter 

from Key Technology 


SIFST Annual 2020 

The Singapore Instute of Food Science and Technology (SIFST) is a member of both the Internaonal Union of Food Science 

and Technology (IUFoST) and the Federaon of Instutes of Food Science and Technology in ASEAN (FIFSTA). SIFST is also an 

allied organisaon of the Instute of Food Technologists of USA and a co-operang society of the Instute of Food Science and 

Technology (UK). 


Annual Report 2020 SIFST 

Dear SIFST Members, 

I am very honoured and humble to be re-elected once again as the President of the Singapore 

Institute of Food Science and Technology (SIFST) at the 44th Annual General Meeting on 28 Sep 

2020. I would like to record my sincere appreciation to the past and present SIFST Council members 

for their contribution of their precious time and efforts to ensure the smooth operations of SIFST and 

the major events that we have organised. I am also grateful to Mr Lim Chee Kian, Dr Lee Kim Lian, Mrs 

Irene Tan and Mrs Ser-Low Wai Ming for providing their priceless advice and strong support to SIFST. 

It has not been as easy and smooth year for many industry sectors, including the food industry. 

Therefore, it has been very difficult to organise events and activities for members since the beginning 

of 2020. We have tired our best to keep members abreast with online webinars organised by various 

organisations and therefore, we will continue to think of other virtual activities that might benefit the 

members. 

On behalf of the 44th Council, I would like to sincerely thank all SIFST members who have, in one way 

or another, contributed to and supported SIFST’s events. The continued growth and success of SIFST 

would not have been possible without your support. 

Richard Khaw 

President, SIFST 44th Council 

2019/2020 

The 44th Council Members 

Immediate Past President 

Mr Koh Boon Liang, HLRB Food Pte Ltd 

President 

Mr Richard Khaw Min Cheh, Nanyang Polytechnic 

Vice-President 

Ms Tan Yan Ling, 13 Honey (S) Pte Ltd 

Honorary Secretary 

Dr Gabrielle Koh, Ingredion Singapore Pte Ltd 

Council Members 

Ms Tan Ai Tsing, Ingredion Singapore Pte Ltd 

Dr Matthew Zhao, Big Ideas Venture Asia Pte Ltd 

Dr Ong Mei Horng, National University of Singapore 

Dr Yang Hongshun, National University of Singapore 

Advisors 

Mr Lim Chee Kian 

Dr Lee Kim Lian 

Mr Yeoh Guan Huah 

Mrs Irene Tan Ek Ek 

Honorary Treasurer 

Mrs Joanne Chia, ALS Technichem (S) Pte Ltd 


SIFST Annual Report 2020 

Singapore Institute of Food Science and 

Technology (SIFST) Annual Report 2020 

SIFST MEMBERSHIPS 

Memberships 2018/2019 2019/2020 

Fellows 21 21 

Associates 119 137 

Licentiates 84 125 

Corporate Members 36 35 

Student Members 102 113 

NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS OF 2019 

1. Friesland Campina Development Center 

2. Ingredion Singapore Pte Ltd 

3. U.S. Dairy Export Council 

44TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the 44th Annual General 

Meeting was held via the Zoom video conferencing platform on 

28 Sep 2020. Mr Richard Khaw presented highlights of the events 

held for the period of the 43rd Council. A new Council was elected 

in, and Mr Richard Khaw was elected as President of the 44th 

Council. 

REPRESENTATION IN STATUTORY COMMITTEES AND 

PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS 

The following members represented the Institute in various 

committees of government and professional bodies: 

1. Mr Richard Khaw, SIFST President 

• IUFoST Competition and Award Sub-Committee Member 

• IUFoST Voting Delegates for SIFST 

• SPRING Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) 

Technical Committee (TC) for Chemical and Biological 

Testing – From July 2012 

• SPRING Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) 

Technical Committee (TC) for Proficiency Testing 

• Singapore Food Standards Committee 17th Term 

Member – SIFST Representative 

• Singapore Food Standards Committee Guidelines for 

Delivery of Ready-To-Eat (RTE) Food Working Group Co- 

Chairman – SIFST Representative 

• Singapore Food Standards Committee Co-Chairman 

for Food Safety Technical Committee Member – SIFST 

Representative 

• Singapore Food Standards Committee, Technical 

Committee for Milk and Milk Products Member – SIFST 


2. Mr Koh Boon Liang, SIFST Immediate Past President 

• Singapore Food Standards Committee Guidelines 

for Developing Food Products with Functional Food 

Ingredients and Health Claims Working Group Member – 

SIFST Representative 

• Singapore Food Standards Committee Guidelines for 

Ready-To-Eat (RTE) Edible Raw Fish Working Group 

Member – SIFST Representative 

• Singapore Food Standards Committee Hazard Analysis 

and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and Guidelines 

for its Application Working Group Member – SIFST 


• Singapore Food Standards Committee Food Safety 

Management System (FSMS) Working Group Member – 

SIFST Representative 

• Singapore Meat Traders’ Association – Honorary Advisor 

3. Dr Lee Kim Lian, SIFST Past President and Honorary Advisor 

• Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), UK – 

Liaison Person 

4. Mr Lim Chee Kian, SIFST Past President and Honorary Advisor 

• International Union of Food Science and Technology 

(IUFoST) - serves as a “Special Invitee” to the IUFoST 

Council to represent the ASEAN region 

• Fellow of IUFoST 

• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), USA - Liaison Person 

5. Mrs Ser-Low Wai Ming, SIFST Past President and Fellow 

Member 

• Australia Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) 

– Liaison Persson 

6. Mrs Tan Yan Ling, SIFST Vice-President 

• International Union of Food Science and Technology 

(IUFoST) – Voting Delegate 

7. Mrs Jeanette Wong-Chan Mei Hong, SIFST Honorary Treasurer 

• SPRING Singapore (FSC) Technical Committee (TC) for 

Fishball Products 



Team SP, Champion of SIFST Quiz Bowl with Mr Richard Khaw, SIFST President 

Our inter-IHL student committee, the party planners 

8. Prof Zhou Weibiao, SIFST Fellow Member 

• International Association for Engineering and Food (IAEF) 

SIFST SOCIAL MEDIA 

The revamped SIFST website continues to serve as a source of 

updates for members, particularly announcements and reports 

on events organised by SIFST. Food-related professionals and 

students who wish to join SIFST as members can also use the 

online registration features. Other information available include 

the SIFST’s Profile, Council and Constitution; Annual Report and 

Publications; The SIFST-HACCP Consultants Registration Scheme; 

and other relevant food industry links and news. 

SIFST Facebook and Instagram pages were set up to constant 

update members on the various events involving SIFST, and to 

attract the younger members. 

HACCP CONSULTANTS REGISTRAR SCHEME 

Ensuring food safety and upholding the ethics and integrity of 

the profession are among the objectives of the SIFST. SIFST 44th 

Council plans to revise the existing SIFST-HACCP Consultants 

Registration Scheme to SIFST – Food Safety Consultant Registration 

Scheme to include more food safety standards including ISO 

22000. Applications are assessed and registered as SIFST – Food 

Safety consultants based on the Terms and Conditions and Criteria 

of Competence laid down in the Scheme. 

FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA MAGAZINE 

SIFST continues to incorporate SIFST news in the Food & Beverage 

Asia magazine, published by Pablo Publishing & Exhibition Pte 

Ltd. The magazine is circulated to about 15,000 food industry 

professionals in Asia, including SIFST members. Its features include 

updates on new members, announcements of upcoming events, 

and reports about SIFST activities as well as a Corporate Member’s 

profile in each bi-monthly issue. 

members, reporting the Institute’s news and publishing quality 

technical papers of interest. The Editoral Board comprised Assistant 

Professor Yang Hongshun (Editor-in-chief), Mr Koh Boon Liang, Dr 

Lee Kim Lian, and Professor Zhou Weibiao. 

STUDENT AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS 

SIFST-NUS Best Student Award-cum-Scholarship went to Ms Tan 

Xin Yi Jolynn of the National University of Singapore (NUS) for her 

outstanding performance in the Food Science and Technology degree 

programme. 

SIFST Rintoul Scholarship was awarded to Mr Yang Hong Keat from 

Singapore Polytechnic. He is a student in the NUS Food Science and 

Technology programme. 

Student Activity – Quiz Bowl 2019 cum Student Party 

Held on 22 Mar 2019 at SIT@Dover, the Quiz Bowl was well 

participated by 63 students from the following IHLs: ITE College 

East, NYP, NUS, RP, SIT, SP and TP. After three challenging rounds, 

the winners were Team SP as Champion, Team TP as First Runner 

Up, and Team NUS as Second Runner Up. Apart of the cash prize 

received by the Champion team, they will also be representing 

Singapore at the 16th ASEAN Food Conference Food Quiz Bowl. 

Spanning the areas of Basic Food Science, Applied Food Science, 

Food Safety, and Nutrition, this year’s quiz was administered entirely 

online. All participants also received a certification of participation 

along with a goodie bag of healthier snacks kindly sponsored by 

Camel Nuts, Meiji Singapore, Mr Bean Singapore, and First Food 

Industries Pte Ltd. The event concluded with a party of fun and 

games organised by an inter-IHL student committee. 

Student Essay Competition 2019 

Essay competition was held to select three best essays for the 

ASEAN Food Heritage book: 

The SIFST Annual 2019 was also co-published with Food & 

Beverage Asia. The Annual offers a means of communication to 

Topic 1: Re-inventing Singapore Food 

Winner: Ms Low Ze Ying, Temasek Polytechnic 



Mr Richard Khaw presenting the awards to the winners of the Student Essay Competition 2019 

Topic 2: Technological Transformation of Singapore Food 

Businesses 

Winner: Ms Tay Jingxin Uma, National University of Singapore 

Topic 3: Alternative Food Supply for Sustainability 

Winner: Mr Craig D’ Souza, National University of Singapore 

Plaza at Scotts with the support from Workforce Singapore (WSG). 

11 participants from local companies and multinational companies 

learnt about the different important and export regulations in 

different countries, understand more about food safety, standard 

development and key consideration for products export during the 

masterclass through sharing and panel discussion sessions. 

Student Postgraduate Research Paper Symposium 2019 

Postgrad Research Paper Symposium was organised to select the 

representative from Singapore to ASEAN Food Conference 2019 

(AFC19) competition in Bali, Indonesia. 

Winner: Mr Craig D’ Souza 

1st Runner Up: Ms Huang Min 

2nd Runner Up: Ms Li Xinzhi, Ms Yang Dongying 

SIFST invited industry speakers who have many years of 

experience in import and export businesses. The speakers include 

Mr Marc Goh, Singapore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 

China, Chongqing, who shared about setting up food businesses 

in China; Mr Milton Jiang from Kitchen Lifetime, shared about 

innovation for better taste; and Mr Azhar Md Salleh from Zhoul’s 

Corner, who shared about strategy in bringing halal food into 

China. 

Winner, Mr Craig D’ Souza represented Singapore to compete 

in the Graduate Student’s Research Paper Competition during 

AFC19. 

FOOD INNOVATION PRODUCTIVITY AND 

INTERNATIONALISATION MASTERCLASS 

SIFST organised a two-day Food Innovation Productivity and 

Internationalisation Masterclass on 23-24 May 2019 at Royal 

The participants had a great knowledge sharing and networking 

session. 

BANGKOK TECHNICAL TOUR 

SIFST jointly organised a technical tour to Bangkok with the e2i on 

27 May-2 Jun 2019. A total of 20 members, comprising industry 

practitioners and academia, led by the President of SIFST and CEO 

of e2i Mr Gilbert Tan participated in the study tour. 

Participants and guest speakers of Food Innovation Productivity and 

Internationalisation Masterclass 

Bangkok trip participants with representative from Thai Airways Catering 



Mr Richard Khaw presenting the awards to the winners of Food Product Awards 2019 

Thailand is known for its rich agricultural resources and food 

industry. The country is well developed in food science and 

technology, especially in the field of manufacturing technology 

and R&D. Government supports and business develop incentives 

are in place, and there is a good potential for business ventures 

and developments. 

The SIFST Food Product Award Presentation 2019 was held in 

conjunction with SIFST seminar series on 11 Oct 2019 at Nanyang 

Polytechnic. 

Mr Richard Khaw, SIFST President, presented the awards to the 

winners as follows: 

The technical tour covered factory visits to Thai President Food 

factory (Instant Noodle), Cerebos (Thailand) Factory (BRANDS 

Chicken Essence and BRANDS Bird’s Nest), CP Interfood Thailand 

factory (Chili Sauce), “Tanland” Ichitan Green Factory (Green 

Tea Drink), and Thai Airways Catering. The participants were 

impressed with the fully automated food factory, high standards 

of hygiene and food safety, and the minimal waste policies 

implemented in the food factories. 

SIFST Best Product Award 

Winner: The Cookie Museum Handmade Floral Cookies by The V 

Pte Ltd 

Merit: AsiaFarm Purple Tea by Asia Farm F&B Pte Ltd 

SIFST Innovation Award 

Winner: Nutrixin Appeal – Apple Peel Essence by InnovFood Pte 

Ltd 

The group also visited ThaiFex 2019, a food and beverage 

trade show. Exhibitors at the show include food manufacturers, 

distributors, food technology companies from all over the world. 

The members also took the opportunity to build a closer 

relationship amongst the participants as well as exploring 

collaboration opportunities. An informative and enjoyable learning 

journey for the participants. 

FOOD PRODUCT AWARDS 2019 

The 14th SIFST Food Product Awards had a total of eight products 

from seven companies. All the products were independently 

judged by a delicately selected panel of industry experts to award 

the winner for SIFST Best Product Award and Innovation Award. 

All the award-winning products were showcased at AFC19 from 

15-18 Oct 2019. 

ASEAN FOOD CONFERENCE 2019, BALI, INDONESIA 

The 16th ASEAN Food Conference (AFC) 2019 was successfully 

held from 15-18 Oct 2019 at Grand Inna Bali Hotel, Bali, 

Indonesia. The 16th AFC was hosted by the Indonesia Association 

of Food Science and Technology (IAFT), and co-organised with 

Federation of Institutes of Food Science and Technology in 

ASEAN (FIFSTA). With a theme “Outlook and Opportunities of 

The judgement was conducted on 1 Oct 2019 at Nanyang 

Polytechnic and the following judges graced the event. 

Chef Andy Gibb 

Nanyang Polytechnic 

Dr Ong Mei Horng 

National University of Singapore 

Chef Jeromy Phang Food Drinks and Allied Workers 

Union 

Mr Lee Huan Tiat 

Standards Development 

Organisation 

Ms Sharon Tan Yee Ling Consumer Representative 

All the Singapore delegates in AFC19 at Bali, Indonesia 



Food Technology and Culinary for Tourism Industry”, the event 

drew more than 700 participants, including delegates from the 

International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) and 

FIFSTA. 

SIFST was represented by the 43rd President Mr Richard Khaw 

and Fellow Member Professor Zhou Weibiao. Mr Richard Khaw also 

represented SIFST to exhibit the Food Product Awards winning 

products at the ASEAN Food Product Awards exhibition held in 

conjunction with the Conference. All three products from Nutrixin 

Appeel, Cookie Museum – The Floral Collection, and Asia Farm 

Purple Tea were recognised and received the ASEAN Best Food 

Products Award certification. 

Agency (SFA), National Centre for Food Science (NCFS) on 16 Oct 

2019. We were very grateful for both SFA and SIFST teams who 

had worked hard to organise this rare, truly exceptional event. 

The response from our members was extremely positive. The 

packed agenda for the afternoon included four presentations by 

SFA and following by NCFS Lab tours of: 

1. Pesticides Residues; 

2. Inorganics Contaminants; 

3. Food Microbiology; 

4. Authenticity and Traceability; and 

5. Foodborne and Natural Toxins. 

Professor Zhou was invited as one of the plenary speakers at the 

conference. The title of his plenary presentation was “Reinventing 

Food Engineering to Achieve Global Food Security”. Mr Richard 

Khaw and two other postgraduate students from NUS also 

presented four oral presentation papers at the conference. 

Singapore was represented by Mr Craig D’ Souza for the 

Graduate Student’s Research Paper Competition. He presented 

his graduate paper on “Comparison between white and red-blue 

LED treatments on physiological development and antioxidant 

properties of Choy Sum (Brassica rapa var parachinensis)”. 

A total of eight student teams participated in the Quiz Bowl 

Competition, and the Singapore team was laced 4th position 

during the preliminary round. 

PROFESSIONAL VISIT TO SINGAPORE FOOD AGENCY – 

NATIONAL CENTRE OF FOOD SCIENCE 

SIFST has organised a Professional Visit to Singapore Food 

A/Prof Joanne Chan, NCFS Centre Director had personally 

welcomed the SIFST members, and shared the newly created 

SFA organizational structure and their missions to support the 

food sectors in Singapore. This was followed by Dr Gerald Chung, 

Scientist, Research and Risk Assessment Department, who was 

also the SFA coordinator for the visit, had presented the Singapore 

Food Story – the three food buckets and grow local foods – and 

Singapore Food Story R&D Programme for: 

a. Sustainable Urban Food Production 

b. Future Foods: Advanced Biotech-based Protein Production 

c. Food Safety Science and Innovation 

Dr Renuka Selvaraj, Scientist Risk and Situation Reporting, had 

shared the Food Hygiene Trends in Food Services from 2008- 

2018, and followed by Dr Justina Leo’s, Scientist Virology, 

presentation on New Technologies in Microbiology. Dr Leo who had 

led the tour for the Food Microbiology lab, had also elaborated the 

new automated rapid sampling microbiological tests in the lab. 

Photo with Centre Director, A/Prof Chan (front row, 6th from left), Dr Gerald 

Chung (back row, 3rd from left), Dr Renuka Selvaraj (front row, 1st from left), 

and Dr Justina Leo (front row, 5th from left) 

Postgraduate Mr Craig D’ Souza presenting in Graduate Student’s Research 

Paper Competition 



Mr Richard Khaw presenting token of appreciation to Dr Milan Shah 

SIFST Vice-President of 42nd Council, Mrs Ngan presenting token 

of appreciation to Dr Athina Tziboula – Clarke 

Our members enjoyed the presentations and tour very much. We 

were impressed by the level of dedication and scientific strength of 

NCFS. We had not only witnessed how our foods, agriculture and 

aqua produces – local and imported – were being studied, tested 

and approved by the SFA Scientists and Food professionals. The 

opportunities to exchange ideas within members, and with the SFA 

teams had demonstrated the values of the visit. 

SIFST had sent an official note to thank SFA for the Professional 

Visit. We hope to have more mutual engagements in the future. 

SIFST PROFESSIONAL TALK SERIES 

Title: Novel Application of Plant-based Ingredients 

Speaker: Dr Athina Tziboula - Clarke, Head of Division, Division of 

Food & Drink, Abertay University, Scotland 

Date: 28 Feb 2019 

Venue: Singapore Polytechnic 

Title: Practical Approach to Allergen Management 

Speakers: Mr Richard Khaw, NYP/SIFST, Mr Richard Leung, 

Neogen, USA and Mr Valentino Tan, Grow FST Consultancy Pte Ltd 

Date: 26 Mar 2019 

Venue: Nanyang Polytechnic 

Title: Formulating Sugar-free Foods – Overview of polyols 

properties 

Speaker: Damien-Pierre Lesot, Trend and Innovation Consultant, 

South East Asia 

Date: 14 May 2019 

Venue: NTUC Centre 

Title: Industry 4.0 and Potential Impact on Singapore Food and 

Agri Industry 

Speaker: Dr Milan Shah, Development and Operations Expert 

(McKinsey’s Digital Capability Centre (DCC) Singapore 

Date: 6 Jun 2019 

Venue: Nanyang Polytechnic 

Title: What is the Hype with Clean Label? 

Speaker: Chr. Hansen 

Date: 16 Jul 2019 

Venue: The Cavendish 

Title: Industry Meet Science – Development in Human Milk 

Oligosaccharides (HMO) for Infant Nutrition, Food and Beverage 

Application 

Speaker: Dr Stephan Saum, Head of Global Technical Marketing 

Date: 28 Aug 2019 

Venue: Singapore Polytechnic 

Title: Workplace Hygiene Programme – Mark of Trust 

Speaker: Mr David Horlock, Managing Director Global Food & 

Retail Supply Chain, British Standards Institution (BSI) 

Date: 28 Sep 2020 

Venue: Zoom Video Conferencing Platform 

Title: Food Formulation – When Art Meets Science 

Speaker: Dr Wong Shen Siung, Global Ingredient Technology 

Manager, Texturants, Tate & Lyle 

Date: 30 Nov 2020 

Venue: Zoom Video Conferencing Platform 

Upcoming Events: 

• Short Courses 

• Professional Talk Series 

• Overseas Technical Tours ■ 


SIFST Technical Article 

Sugarcane fibre: A sustainable ingredient to reduce 

glycaemic response in white bread 

By CHIA KAI FENG and DU JUAN from Singapore Institute of Technology – Food Technology Programme, Cluster of 

Chemical Engineering and Food Technology 

INTRODUCTION 

White bread is a staple and widely consumed processed 

carbohydrate-rich food (Ishida & Steel, 2014). Majority of 

the starch in white breads are rapidly digested, absorbed and 

metabolised starches that can stimulate postprandial blood 

glucose increase as well as poorer insulin sensitivity (Wee & 

Henry, 2020; Augustin et al., 2015). This has been linked to major 

adverse health effects particularly hyperglycaemia, and type 2 

diabetes (T2D) mellitus which was reported to have a continuous 

and shocking rate of increase globally (Wee & Henry, 2020). 

In local context, an article by Singapore Biodesign – Agency for 

Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) reviewed that in 

2019, Singapore has the world’s highest rate of diabetes, primary 

to kidney failure (Chou et al., 2019). Furthermore, prevalence of 

diabetes had increased over the years and was even forecasted 

to double amongst Singaporean adults (aged 18-69) from 7.3% 

in 1990 to 15% in 2050 (Phan et al., 2014). This agreed with 

the National Health Survey 2010 by Singapore Ministry of Health 

(2020), where the prevalence of diabetes, among the Singaporean 

adults, have increased from 8.2% in 2004 to 11.3% in 2010 

(Singapore Ministry of Health, 2020). 

Having said that, carbohydrates are primarily a source of energy 

as they provide energy to all cells in the body, making them an 

important part of a nutritional diet. Hence, it is not recommended 

to remove carbohydrates completely in the diet or implement lowcarbohydrates 

diets as impairment of other health functions may 

occur (Wee & Henry, 2020). 

Apart from the amounts of carbohydrate consumed, the rate of 

starch digestion also varies depending on their resistance to 

digestion; mainly rapidly digestible starch (RDS), slowly digestible 

starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS). As mentioned by Englyst et 

al. (1992), a decreased rate of starch digestion could potentially 

reduce or delay the postprandial glucose and insulin responses, 

thereby aiding in the reduction of glycaemic response in foods. 

Found in starchy foods, such as breads and potatoes, RDS consists 

mainly of amorphous and dispersed starch and is converted, 

within 20 minutes of enzyme digestion, to the constituent glucose 

molecules (Sajilata et al., 2006). This RDS are rapidly digested 

and absorbed in the duodenum and proximal regions of the 

small intestine, leading to numerous bodily implications through 

rapid elevation of blood glucose and subsequent episodes of 

hypoglycaemia (Zhang & Hamaker, 2009). 

As opposed to RDS, SDS are digested slowly with prolong, 

sustainable and progressive release of glucose throughout the entire 

small intestine (Zhang & Hamaker, 2009; Englyst et al., 1992), and 

are converted to glucose after a further 100 minutes of enzyme 

digestion. Such slow rate of starch digestion is due to its physically 

inaccessible amorphous starch and raw starch constituents, with 

a type A and type C crystalline structure, either in granule form or 

retrograded form in cooked foods (Sajilata et al., 2006). 

RS, on the other hand, is the starch not hydrolysed after 120 

minutes of incubation (Englyst et. al, 1992). Be that as it may, RS 

is that fraction of dietary starch that escapes digestion in the small 

intestine owing to its ability to be fermented by the gut microflora 

(Sajilata et al., 2006). This agrees with Zhang and Hamaker (2009), 

claiming that RS foods can produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) 

from the microbial fermentation in the colon, rather than being 

digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract. According to Sajilata et 

al (2006), RS can be chemically measured as the difference between 

total starch (TS) and the sum of RDS and SDS as shown in 

Equation 1. 

Equation 1: 

RS = TS – (RDS + SDS) 

Figure 1: Prevalence of diabetes in Singapore over the years of 1998, 2004, and 

2010 (Source: Singapore Ministry of Health, National Health Survey 2010 [2020]) 

Therefore, some studies suggested the improvements of 

carbohydrate quality, in addition to reducing the carbohydrate 



quantity, would be an effective approach or strategy towards 

managing the prevalence of T2D (Wee & Henry, 2020). This 

further prompted the efforts and interests of many studies to 

lower the Glycaemic Response (GR) and Glycaemic Index (GI) as 

well as boosting the nutritional values, of white bread through 

the incorporation of dietary fibres. Apart from that, high dietary 

fibre intake has also been widely reported to be beneficial for 

the overall human health as it prevents and protects against the 

development of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, 

colorectal cancer, and degenerative diseases (Augustin et al., 

2015; Sangnark & Noomhorm, 2004; Sangnark & Noomhorm, 

2003). 

In agreement with many studies, one holistic approach to reduce 

GR in white bread applications could be the use of dietary fibres 

owing to its ability to increase food viscosity, which therefore, 

functions to reduce eating rate gastric emptying rate (Zhu et 

al., 2013), or intestinal glucose absorption rates as reported by 

previous studies (Russell et al., 2013; Martínez-Bustos et al., 

2011). 

WHAT ARE GI AND GR? 

Carbohydrate quality is measured by Glycaemic Response 

(GR) and Glycaemic Index (GI). According to the International 

Organisation for Standardisation (ISO 26642:2010), GR is the 

change in blood glucose concentration or incremental area 

under the blood glucose response curve (iAUC) elicited for 2-3 

hours after consuming a carbohydrate-containing food or meal. 

On the other hand, GI is based on an equal amount of available 

carbohydrate (standardised GR) and the relative to a referent food 

(relative GR), usually glucose solution, white wheat bread, or white 

rice (Wee & Henry, 2020; Augustin et al., 2015; Monro & Shaw, 

2008). 

For GI testing in Singapore, according to the Health Promotion 

Board, which follows the ISO’s standards, at least 7.5g of 

glycaemic carbohydrate must be required in per serving of the 

tested food product (Health Promotion Board, 2020). After which, 

depending on the GI values on the glucose scale, foods can be 

classified into different level depending on the rate of digestion, 

absorption and metabolization of carbohydrates. For instance, 

high GI foods of ≥ 70 have a rapid rate and vice versa, low GI 

foods of ≤55 have a slower rate. 

WHAT IS SUGARCANE FIBRE? 

Sugarcane fibres are a type of lignocellulosic material classified as 

an insoluble dietary fibre (Poran et al., 2008; Gould et al., 1989). 

They are main by-products derived from sugarcane processing 

(Sangnark & Noomhorm, 2004), and these fibrous residues are 

claimed to be one of the world’s largest agriculture residues 

(Loh et al., 2013). Due to its low fabricating costs and abundancy, 

which makes them a sustainable and high green end material these 

sugarcane fibre wastes are ideal raw material with multiple utilities, 

especially in the manufacturing of polymeric composite materials 

(Loh et al., 2013). Apart from that, fertilisers and cattle feeds were 

reported to be one of the more common use of sugarcane fibres as 

well (Sangnark & Noomhorm, 2004). 

As mentioned earlier, sugarcane fibres are ideal candidate to be 

utilised in the health food formulations due to its dietary fibre 

components which comprises mainly cellulose, hemi-cellulose 

and lignin (Martínez-Bustos et al., 2011). Between a couple of 

studies, the cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin constituents of 

sugarcane fibre varies slightly, from 55-58%, 26-32% and 19-22%, 

respectively to 45%, 26% and 19%, respectively (Sangnark & 

Noomhorm, 2004). 

EFFECTS OF SUGARCANE FIBRES ON GLYCAEMIC 

RESPONSE AND OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS 

According to Dhital et al., (2015), the presence of cellulose was 

demonstrated to reduce the hydrolysis of starch by α-amylase 

owing to its ability to have rapid binding interaction of α-amylase to 

cellulose, as opposed to α-amylase to granular starch. Through this 

mixed type inhibition mechanism, the α-amylase enzymatic activity 

would thus be inhibited. Moreover, cellulose, being a polysaccharide 

is undegradable by α-amylase as the β (1 → 4) glucan linkages of 

cellulose is unhydrolysable by the enzymatic activity. As proposed 

by Adedayo et al., (2018), such inhibition mechanism is vital in 

controlling the amount of glucose release, and thereby, forming the 

foundation of GI reduction. 

Other benefits of sugarcane fibres, apart from the glycaemic 

response of food, include the exhibition of second-meal effect, 

through a mechanism related to colonic fermentation, which could 

improve blood glucose regulation and tolerance for subsequent 

meals, as well as increased satiety levels post-meal that may result 

in modest weight loss and thereby, reducing insulin resistance and 

the risk of developing T2D (Weickert & Pfeiffer, 2018). Additionally, 

previous research has indicated that insoluble fibres have effects on 

increasing fermentative activity by bacteria in the colon, resulting 

in the production of propionic acid (a type of short chain fatty 

acids) and thereby, moderate hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism 

(Russell et al., 2013; Björck & Elmståhl, 2003). Since sugarcane 

fibres are mainly composed of insoluble fibres, it is possible to use 

sugarcane fibre to modulate fermentative activities in the colon, but 

more research is needed to verify it. 

IMPLICATIONS OF USING SUGARCANE FIBRES IN BREAD 

FORMULATIONS 

Apart from the benefits of sugarcane fibre on reducing glycaemic 



Figure 2: Physical appearance of sugarcane enriched white bread with 0, 5, 10 and 15% (w/w flour basis) sugarcane fibre addition, from left to right 

response and many others, the unprocessed lignocellulose 

materials in sugarcane fibre were reported to cause problems 

when formulating into baked goods as they do not soften or 

incorporate well with the dough or batter due to their poor 

hydration properties. As a result, many negative implications, 

such as the loss of baked volume and undesirable mouthfeel such 

as dry and gritty texture, were typically observed (Wee & Henry, 

2020; Sangnark & Noomhorm, 2004; Sangnark & Noomhorm, 

2003). Evidently, these implications were observed to be more 

prominent with increasing concentrations of sugarcane fibres 

added into the bread formulation of 0, 5,10 and 15% (w/w flour 

basis), respectively, as shown in Figure 2. However, hydration 

properties of sugarcane fibres can be improved through the 

treatment of alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) and stirring. 

Furthermore, modifications to the white bread formulation, which 

include the addition of other food additives such as sucrose 

ester and gums as well as substitution of high protein flour, could 

potentially improve the dough rheological properties and quality 

of sugarcane fibre enriched bread. 

ALKALINE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE PRE-TREATMENT OF 

SUGARCANE FIBRE 

As reviewed by Niju & Swathika (2019), alkaline hydrogen 

peroxide (AHP) pre-treatment was found to be the most effective 

process for delignification of lignocellulosic materials. Due to its 

oxidative action, ester linkages of the lignin present in the cell wall 

are cleaved, resulting in less sugar degradation and increased 

digestibility with negligible formation of secondary products 

(Gould et al., 1989). 

The effects of AHP treatment on sugarcane fibre were investigated 

by a number of previous studies. Mdletshe (2019), reported 

that untreated sugarcane fibre showed sheets of clustered 

fibres whereas the structures of the treated sugarcane fibre 

were strongly damaged because of the pre-treatment, resulting 

in modifications to the surface and consequently, dissolving 

the hemicelluloses that surrounded the cellulose skeleton 

(Arsène et al., 2017). Moreover, after AHP treatment, there is 

also a possibility that the sugarcane fibres might completely be 

unattached into individual fibres (Rezende et al., 2011). 

CONCLUSION 

White bread, a type of staple food, is considered and classified 

to be a relatively high GI food, of >70, due to the various 

processing on the raw material, including high RDS content of 

white wheat flour, dough formation as well as baking process of 

bread. Undoubtedly, there is a need of solutions to reduce GI 

of white bread. One effective approach to reduce the glycaemic 

response of white bread would be the addition of sugarcane fibre 

in bread applications owing to their ability to bind and interact 

with α-amylase, and thereby reducing the hydrolysis of starch. 



Furthermore, sugarcane fibres are unhydrolysable by the enzymes 

such as α-amylase, therefore adding bulk to the system without 

increasing the available carbohydrates content while controlling 

the rate of glucose release. 

However, there are drawbacks of using sugarcane fibres in bread 

applications due to their insolubility and hydration properties. 

These drawbacks include weakened dough, reduced processing 

tolerance and loss of baked volume, thereby compromising the 

textural and sensorial properties which are important aspects and 

criteria of a bread. Therefore, pre-treating sugarcane fibres with 

AHP could improve the solubility as well as increasing the water 

holding capacity of sugarcane fibres, allowing easy incorporation 

of sugarcane fibres into the dough system. ■ 

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Singapore’s war on sugar: 

Sugar substitute as a weapon 

By ZHU YIMING and MI JIAQI, Department of Food Science and Technology, National University of Singapore 

Nature made sugar hard to get; man made it easy. 

The Singapore government is aware of the threat 

of added sugar on public health and healthcare 

costs. Singapore has begun the war with sugar since 

2001, when the Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) was 

introduced to help consumers identify lower-sugar foods. War on 

Diabetes was launched in 2016. 

The fact in Singapore is that the related non-communicable 

disease (NCD) accounted for 74% of deaths in 2008. Diabetes is a 

serious health concern in Singapore, with the highest prevalence 

of diabetes among developed nations. A Health Promotion Board 

survey in 2018 reported Singaporeans consumed 12 teaspoons 

(or 60g) of sugar daily, more than the five teaspoons limit 

recommended by the World Health Organization. 

In Dec. 2018, the Ministry of Health (MOH) conducted a public 

consultation to seek views on four possible measures to reduce 

sugar intake from pre-packaged sugar-sweetened beverages 

(SSBs), including total ban, tax on high-sugar drinks, mandatory 

labelling and ban on advertisements on all platforms; However, the 

results have yet to be announced. Compared with such tough action, 

recognise and promote the use of sugar substitutes seem to be a 

gentle way. 

THE TOXIC TRUTH ABOUT SUGAR 

A lot of epidemiological evidence indicated that excessive 

sugar consumption affects human health beyond simply adding 

calories. Importantly, sugar induces all of the diseases associated 

with metabolic syndrome 1 . The unhealthy influence includes 

hyperlipidaemia (high triglycerides and insulin resistance through 

the synthesis of fat in the liver); diabetes (increased liver glucose 

production and insulin resistance); hypertension (fructose increases 

uric acid, which raises blood pressure); and aging (Maillard reaction 

and its production between reducing sugar and protein). 

THE RISING USE OF SWEETENERS 

Sugar substitute is a group of food additives that duplicates the 

effect of sugar in taste, but usually has less calories and low 

glycaemic index (GI). Some sugar substitutes are natural while 

some others are synthetic. Especially, the synthetic sweeteners 

can be divided into artificial sweeteners (produced from the 

non-sugar-structure compound), sugar alcohols (occur naturally 

in many fruit and vegetables, but they are produced from other 

carbohydrates), and rare sugar (occur naturally in extremely low 

ratio, produced from enzymatic conversion). 

Chemosynthesis artificial sweeteners 

The chemosynthesis artificial sweeteners are approved in 

Singapore are acesulfame-K, saccharin, cyclamates, neotame, 

sucralose, and aspartame. 

With zero calories and non-GI effect, chemosynthesis artificial 

sweeteners seem to be the most health and economic way to 

fight traditional sugar. In general, it can be concluded that sugar 

Sweeteners 

Acesulfame 

potassium 

(Ace-K) 

Calories 

(kcal/g) 

Sweetness 

Compared to 

sucrose 

GI 

0 200 0 

Aspartame 3.65 200 0 

Sucralose 0 600 0 

Neotame 0 7,000-13,000 0 

Cyclamates 0 40 0 

Saccharin 0 300 0 

Beverage shelves at a supermarket in Singapore 

Table 1: Main chemosynthesis artificial sweeteners’ nutrition value (adapted 

from Chattopadhyay 2 ) 



substitutes have no untoward effect on the short-term health 

and carcinogenicity risks of an individual under the food matrix 

and regulation dose. Hence, these chemosynthesis artificial 

sweeteners are currently approved for use in most countries. 

But this illusion is partly because there were few epidemiological 

studies have specifically assessed exposure to a single sweetener. 

Currently, there were some debates about these sugar substitutes. 

The thermal decomposition of sucralose produces polychlorinated 

dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans. Bladder cancer-inducing 

effects of saccharin were reported from animal studies in the rat. 

Also, current scientific evidence indicates that daily consumption 

of beverages with chemosynthesis artificial not only fails to 

prevent disease but is associated with increased risks for the 

same health concerns associated with sugar beverages, including 

type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and stroke. 

Acesulfame potassium, saccharin, and sucralose even performed 

strong bacteriostatic effects to change the intestinal flora, which 

is closely related to the long-term immunity and metabolism of 

the human body. Pre-clinical studies have provided plausible 

biological mechanisms of these negative health effects 3 . 

Besides, considering the unpleasant aftertaste, allergen 

(Aspartame), the properties for cooking or baking. The use of 

chemosynthesis artificial sweeteners still needs to be regulated 

and identified. 

Sugar alcohols 

Sugar alcohols were found in plants, such as fruits, especially 

berries. Now, sugar alcohols normally are produced by 

corresponding sugar with chemical or biological pathways. Sugar 

Sweeteners 

Calories 

(kcal/g) 

Sweetness 

compared to 

sucrose 

Xylitol 2.5 100 13 

Maltitol syrup 3 75 53 

Maltitol 2.7 75 36 

Erythritol 0.2 70 0 

Sorbitol 2.5 60 9 

Mannitol 1.5 60 0 

Isomalt 2.1 55 9 

Lactitol 2 35 6 

Polyglycitol 2.8 33 39 

Table 2: Main sugar alcohols’ nutrition value (adapted from Grembecka 4 and 

Serra-Majem et al. 5 ). All of these sugar alcohols are available in Singapore 

GI 

alcohols have slightly lower calories and GI than regular sugar 

(sucrose has GI of 60 and 4cal/g calories). 

Sugar alcohols are normally partly absorbed into the blood from 

the small intestines which usually results in a smaller alter in 

blood glucose than sucrose (table sugar). Erythritol is actually 

absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged through 

urine, so it contributes no calories even though it is rather sweet. 

In China, a sparkling water with erythritol added only has been 

a huge success in recent years, Yuanqi Forest (Yuanqi Senlin), 

its parent company now valued at more than US$2 billion. This 

company also plans to add erythritol more in milk tea and fruit 

wine. 

However, it is important to note that most sugar alcohols do not 

have 0 GI and 0 Cal. So, for many products labelled "sugar-free" 

or "no sugar added" in fact contain sugar alcohols, diabetics 

cannot consume them with no limit 6 . 

Besides, just like others incompletely digestible substances, 

overconsumption of sugar alcohols can lead to bloating, 

diarrhoea, and flatulence as they are incompletely absorbed in the 

small intestine. 

Natural sweeteners 

Natural sweeteners are approved in Singapore including steviol 

glycosides and Siratia grosvenorii (swingle) (Luo Han Guo, Monk 

fruit) extract. 

Stevia glycosides are compounds extracted and refined from the 

leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Hemsl. The US Food 

and Drug Administration (FDA) considers only high-purity stevia 

glycosides to be safe for current human consumption with ADI, 

while the Monk fruit extract was listed in FDA GRAS with no limit 9 . 

Monk fruit has been used as a traditional medicine in China for 

centuries. Following the trends of natural sweeteners, it has been 

approved as a sweetener in many countries. This fruit contains 

compounds called mogrosides to perform sweetness. Among more 

than 60 mogrosides identified, the content of different mogrosides 

are various depends on the maturity stage. 

Sweeteners 

Calories 

(kcal/g) 

Sweetness 

Compared to 

sucrose 

Steviol 

glycosides 

0 210-300 0 

Luo Han Guo 0 500 0 

Table 3: Main natural sweeteners’ nutrition value (adapted from Hellfritsch et 

al. 7 and Cicek et al. 8 ) 

GI 



As a natural compound or extract, these natural sweeteners 

were also have shown that it is non-toxic and exert hypotensive, 

cardiotonic, anti-diabetic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, 

anti-viral, and anti-bacterial actions. The Monk fruit extract is 

considered as the only natural product with a sweet taste that can 

help one lose weight. 

The bitter aftertaste of steviol glycosides is another barrier for 

the large-scale applications of steviol glycosides. Coca-Cola 

launched a sugar-based beverage product, Coca-Cola Life, in 

2017, but is not doing well in the market because of the slightly 

bitter aftertaste, even though they have added some sucrose 

to neutralise the bitterness. In 2018, considering the failure of 

previous Coca-Cola Life, Coca-Cola launched their new steviasweetened 

Coke with specific Reb M glycoside, which has no 

unappealing aftertaste. 

So far, most of the sweetener plants have yet to be approved for 

use, even though they are traditionally used in countries where 

they appear naturally. The highest values were received for 

miraculin, obtained from Synsepalum dulcificum (400,000 times 

sweeter than sucrose, induced by citric acid); thaumatin (1,600- 

3,000 times sweeter), monatin (1,200-3,000) and pentadin 

(500-2,000 times sweeter). Some of these substances can also 

modify the taste, like changing sour into sweet taste (miraculin 

and neoculin) 10 . 

Rare sugars 

With the increase of consumers’ health awareness of sugar 

reduction, rare sugar has gradually become a hot topic in the 

food industry. It is a type of monosaccharides and sugar alcohols 

that exist in nature but have very little content. It tastes similar 

to sucrose, but has more advantages such as low calories, high 

stability and non-carcinogenicity. This can make up for the lack 

of typical sweeteners and play an important role in improving the 

diet of special populations. 

At present, there are more than 50 kinds of rare sugars such 

as allulose, arabinose and tagatose. In addition to low-calorie 

features, they also have many functional activities, such as 

scavenging free radicals, protecting nerves. Also, they are 

functional sweeteners used by the people with diabetes and 

obesity. However, rare sugars exist in a small amount in nature 

and are difficult to purify and obtain. At the same time, chemical 

synthesis is expensive. Therefore, the use of biotransformation 

technology to develop functional rare sugars has become a 

hotspot in international research 11 . 

Allulose is a very popular rare sugar, which has sucrose functions 

such as browning reaction and provide bulkiness while reducing 

The application of sugar substitutes in the food and beverage market in 

Singapore. (A). Rare sugars (D-psicose, D-allose, D-mannose) were utilised 

in beverage Life Jasmine Green Tea - Less Sugar. (B). Artificial sweeteners 

(sucralose, acesulfame-K) were applied in Coca-Cola Bottle Drink - No Sugar. 

(C). Sugar alcohol (maltitol) was used in Gullon Choco Chip Biscuit - Sugar Free. 

sugar. Therefore, it is also evaluated as the “most potential 

sucrose substitute”. 

The sweetness of allulose is about 70% of sucrose, but its 

calories are far lower than sucrose. It is only 0.4kcal/g. Because 

allulose cannot be metabolised by the human body and has low 

fermentation availability to intestinal microorganisms, it will not 

cause gastrointestinal discomfort like sugar alcohol. 

In terms of taste, allulose has a soft and delicate sweetness. It has 

a pure sweetness that is very similar to sucrose. And there is no 

bad taste after consumption. Its sweetness will not change with 

temperature. 

Furthermore, allulose has very good physical and chemical 

properties. It is mixed with egg albumin can not only form a better 

cross-linked structure through Maillard reaction, but also generate 

substances with higher antioxidant effects, which reduces 

oxidation loss in food processing and storage. In the industry, 

allulose is often used to partially replace sucrose to make cakes. 

At present, D-psicose-3 epimerase is often used in industry to 

achieve mass production of allulose. It is also widely used in 

beverages, baked goods, candies, condiments, dairy products, 

jams, processed meats and syrups. Duncan Hines uses allulose 

to make a keto friendly birthday cake mixing cup. Each serving 

contains only 5g of net carbs and no added sugar 12 . 

D-tagatose is an isomer of D-fructose. Its sweetness is about 92% 

of sucrose, and its calories are only 1/3 of sucrose. The metabolic 

pathway of tagatose is similar to fructose but the efficiency is 



lower than fructose. Only 20% of tagatose is metabolised and 

absorbed in the liver. The other 80% tagatose will stimulate the 

growth of lactobacillus, and promote the production of butyric 

acid in the intestine, which is beneficial to intestinal health. At 

present, the industry mainly uses D-galactose as the raw material 

to produce D-tagatose on a large scale. Meanwhile, tagatose 

has been widely used in health drinks, yoghurt, juice and other 

products in the US 13 . 

Arabinose is also a common rare sugar. It can reduce the 

absorption of sucrose and prevent blood glucose rising by 

inhibiting sucrase 14 . Meanwhile, undecomposed sucrose can enter 

the large intestine to provide rich nourishment for the beneficial 

bacteria in the digestive system. However, the high price may be 

the main obstacle to the wide application of arabinose. Therefore, 

exploring simpler and safer biosynthetic methods is a hot research 

topic in the future. 

CUSTOMER INSIGHT 

As the demand for health increases, sugar substitute products 

will undoubtedly leave a good impression on consumers. But it is 

difficult to have both deliciousness and health. 

Artificial sweeteners have been controversial since their inception. 

Various studies have proved that long-term intake of highintensity 

artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose, and 

aspartame can cause health risks, although these negative effects 

also need to be considered dose. 

But this is still affecting consumers’ attitudes. Many consumers 

remain cautious about this, which has caused many sugar-free 

products using artificial sweeteners to fall into controversy. 

Natural sweeteners such as steviol glycosides began to replace 

artificial sugar substitutes, and gradually became consumers’ 

favourite sweeteners. 

The indigestibility of steviol glycosides prevents the increase in 

blood glucose after consuming, and it is a natural sugar suitable 

for diabetic patients. But the bitter taste of stevia also makes 

product development more difficult. This led scientists to study 

how to use technical methods to remove the bitter taste of stevia. 

At the same time, the pace of exploring new sweeteners has not 

stopped. The rare sugar allulose, which is more similar to sucrose, 

has begun to enter the eyes of consumers. More stable properties 

and cleaner production process make allulose a healthy sugar 

substitute besides stevia. 

But for companies, how to choose sugar substitutes should 

consider not only health issues, but also cost and consumer 

preferences. Therefore, before choosing the suitable sugar 

substitute, the most important thing is to determine the target 

consumers of the brand. Can sugar reduction resonate with them 

and which sugar substitute is more acceptable to the target 

population? 

There is no doubt that sugar reduction in food and beverages 

has become a hot topic in product development. Consumers’ 

interest in sugar reduction and demand for natural and safe 

sweeteners will promote the development of better-tasting natural 

sweeteners. ■ 

REFERENCES 

1. Lustig RH, LA Schmidt, CD Brindis. The toxic truth about sugar. Nature. 

2012, 482(7383): 27-29. 

2. Chattopadhyay S, U Raychaudhuri, R Chakraborty. Artificial 

sweeteners - a review. J. Food Sci. Tech. Mys. 2014, 51(4): 611-621. 

3. Swithers SE. Not-so-healthy sugar substitutes? Curr Opin Behav Sci. 

2016, 9: 106-110. 

4. Grembecka M. Sugar alcohols-their role in the modern world of 

sweeteners: a review. Eur. Food Res. Technol. 2015, 241(1): 1-14. 

5. Serra-Majem L, et al. Ibero-American consensus on low- and nocalorie 

sweeteners: Safety, nutritional aspects and benefits in food 

and beverages. Nutrients. 2018, 10(7): 31. 

6. Park YC, Oh EJ, Jo JH, Jin YS, Seo JH. Recent advances in biological 

production of sugar alcohols. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 2016, 37: 105- 

113. 

7. Hellfritsch C, Brockhoff A, Stahler F, Meyerhof W, Hofmnann T. Human 

Psychometric and taste receptor responses to steviol glycosides. J. 

Agric. Food Chem. 2012, 60(27): 6782-6793. 

8. Cicek SS, T Esposito, U Girreser. Prediction of the sweetening effect 

of Siraitia grosvenorii (luo han guo) fruits by two-dimensional 

quantitative NMR. Food Chem. 2021, 335: 8. 

9. Vinkx C. Opinion of EFSA on steviol glycosides: what's next? Heverlee: 

Euprint Ed. 2010, 45-57. 

10. Swiader K, Wegner K, Piotrowska A, Tang FJ, Sadowska A. Plants as 

a source of natural high-intensity sweeteners: a review. J. Appl. Bot. 

Food Qual. 2019, 92: 160-171. 

11. Hadipernata M, S Hayakawa, R Rachmat. The utilisation of rare sugars 

as a functional food. Int Soc Horticultural Science: Leuven 1. 2013, 

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and bioprocessing. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2018, 66(51): 13343-13345. 

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mice. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2019, 67(48): 13299-13306. 


SIFST Member List 

SIFST Members in 2020 

HONORARY FELLOWS 

Emeritus Prof Ang How Ghee 

Mr Theng Chye Yam 

Dr Ngiam Tong Tau 

FELLOWS 

Mr Chou Kai Chih 

Ass. Prof Karunanithy Ramasamy 

Mr Lodge, Norman 

Dr Perera, Anne 

Dr Chua Sin Bin 

Dr Lien Wen Sze 

Mr Lim Chee Kian 

Mr Lim Kay Kong 

Mrs Ong Kim Lian 

Dr Pho-Tan Lay Koon 

Mrs Ser-Low Wai Ming 

Mrs Tan Ek Ek, Irene 

Ms Tan Tiat Siang, Connie 

Mr Wong Mong Hong 

Mr Yap Giau Cheng, Eugene 

Mr Yeow Kian Peng 

Mr Yeoh Guan Huah* 

Prof Zhou Weibiao 

CORPORATE MEMBERS 

Abbott Laboratories (S) Pte Ltd 

ALS Technichem (S) Pte Ltd 

Borregaard SEA Pte Ltd 

Chop Hup Chong Food Industries 

Pte Ltd 

Chr. Hansen Singapore Pte Ltd 

Coca-Cola Singapore Pte Ltd 

Covance Asia Pte Ltd 

CP Kelco Singapore Pte Ltd 

Delfi Ltd 

F&N Global Marketing 

Faesol Pte Ltd 

Foodfare Catering Pte Ltd 

Foodxervices Inc Pte Ltd 

Friesland Campina Development 

Center 

Gardenia Foods (S) Pte Ltd 

Givaudan Singapore Pte Ltd 

Gourmet Food Safety Consultancy 

Huber's Pte Ltd 

Ingredion Singapore Pte Ltd 

Jumain Sataysfaction Pte Ltd 

Kikkoman (S) Pte Ltd 

Lam Soon Singapore Pte Ltd 

Malaysia Dairy Industries Pte Ltd 

Nestle R&D Center Pte Ltd 

NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd 

Prima Limited 

Superbean International Pte Ltd 

Symrise Asia Pacific Pte Ltd 

Synergy Asia Training & Consulting 

Pte Ltd 

Tatgu Pte Ltd 

The V Pte Ltd 

Thong Siek Food Industry Pte Ltd 

U Market Place Enterprise Pte Ltd 

U.S. Dairy Export Council 

Unicurd Food Co Pte Ltd 

LICENTIATE MEMBERS 

Ms Ang Cai Ling 

Ms Aw Ling Zhi Christine 

Ms Aisyah Shakira Binte Abdul Jalil 

Ms Calista Foo Jun Yi 

Ms Calistal Ang Si Min 

Mr Chan Cheng Num 

Mr Chan Jun Rong Samuel 

Ms Chan Mei Hui Jenny 

Ms Chan Wan Ting 

Ms Ching Hui Kheng 

Ms Chong Sin Yee 

Mr Choo Zhi Wei 

Mr Chow Jun Yan Eldrid 

Ms Chua Jia Hui 

Ms Chua Xinying 

Ms Chung Hui Yu Audrey 

Ms Dayna Ong Shu Min 

Ms Elaine Yeow Yee Ling 

Ms Elysia Sutislio 

Ms Eunice Lee Meei Huey 

Ms Evelyn Lau 

Ms Felicia Liow Ker Ching 

Ms Goh Ai Ting 

Ms Goh Hwee Kwang Chris 

Ms Goh Pei Xuan 

Ms Goh Xue Zhen Audrey 

Ms Goh Yi Qian 

Ms Heng Siying Lynette 

Ms Ho Shu Qi 

Mr Hoo Kin Hoe 

Ms Joyce Chung 

Ms Kee Mandy 

Ms Koh Huann Rong 

Mr Koh Tian Haw 

Ms Kok Chui Lin 

Ms Kwah Yan Sin 

Ms Lai Fang Yin 

Ms Lai Howe Ling Daisy 

Mrs Lai Jia Chee 

Ms Lee Cai Yin 

Ms Lee Pei Xuan 

Ms Lee Seu Lan 

Ms Lee Shi Fen Elaine 

Mr Leon Khoo 

Mr Leung Jing Yin 

Ms Liew Samantha 

Mr Lim Chai 

Ms Lim Hui Pheng 

Ms Lim Jin Min 

Ms Lim Pei Jun 

Ms Lim Shi Yi 

Mr Lim Siang Wee 

Ms Lim Wan Ting 

Mr Lim Wei Chin Marcus 

Ms Lim Yu Mei Joanne 

Ms Lim Yu Zhen Bellarie 

Ms Lin Hui Fang Vivian 

Mr Lin Weixiang Willis 

Ms Lin Yan Ting Elaine 

Ms Loh Hui Lin 

Mr Low Poh Seng Gaven 

Mr Matthew Koh 

Ms Mcferson Maureen Hadden 

Ms Minardo Franceline Gladys 

Ms Miranda Maru Angeli Calinisan 

Ms Nah Jin Nim Adelyn 

Ms Ng Hui Ling 

Mr Ng Tai Hiang Jeremy 

Ms Ng Wei Ting Felicia 

Ms Nur Filzah Nadiah 

Ms Nur Syahirah Binte Amirruddin 

Ms Nurul Ayu Nafisah Binte Hussain 

Ms Ong Anica 

Ms Ong Cai Fen Esther 

Ms Ong Shu Min Joan 

Ms Ong Xue Li 

Ms Ow Pei Jun 

Mr Poh Kai Keng 

Ms Poh Shih Yin 

Ms Quek Si Yi 

Ms Qurratu Ain Bte Mohd Fadzil 

Ms Radyiatul Mardyiah Binte 

Othman 

Ms Rinny 

Ms Salwah Bte Abdul Rashid 

Ms Sarah Chia Jia Ning 

Ms Seah Xin Hui 

Ms Sim Hui Yu 

Ms Sin Si Min 

Ms Siow Phei Ching 

Ms Siti Aishah Bte Ismail 

Mr Soh Chin Yi 

Ms Soh Jin Chen 

Ms Soh Jun Ru 

Ms Soon Hui Yi Vivienne 

Mr Tan Ban Yang Alvin 

Ms Tan Bi Xue 

Ms Tan Kai Chin 

Ms Tan Peh Ling 

Ms Tan Shi Ying 

Ms Tan Su Shan 

Ms Tan Xiao Ping 

Ms Tan Xuan En Georgina 

Mr Tan Yong Seng 

Ms Tan Yue Ting 

Ms Tan Zi Hao Crystal 

Mr Tay Chuan Long Dennis 

Mr Tay Siang Hong 

Ms Tay Xin Mei Daphne 

Ms Tay Xin Ying Mandy 

Mr Teng Bryan 

Ms Teo Kai Zhi 

Ms Teo Wan Ling 

Ms Then Chew Siew Gertrude 

Ms Toh Chin Hwee, Iris 

Ms Toh Kai Ning Clarine 

Ms Tong Xiuying Jean 

Ms Wang Yi Jin 

Ms Wong Yun Xiao 

Ms Wu Manchao 

Mr Yap Jie Sen 

Mr Yeo Bin Hui 

Ms Yeo Hui Jun 

Ms Yeo Poh Cher 

Mr Yeon Liang Jun 

Ms Yuliana 

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS 

Ms Alessandra Macri 

Dr Anh Linh Nguyen 

Mr Aw Cheng Soon Samuel 

Mr Chan Cheng Num 

Mr Chan Joy Seng 

Ms Chan Yong Jiet 

Ms Chan Yuen Mun Carmen 

Ms Chek Yvette 

Mr Chew Keng Guan 

Ms Chia Say Yen Joanne 

Ms Chloe Chan 

Dr Cho Kian Sai 

Ms Choa Wai Boey Eunice 

Mr Choo Chong Kwong Frank 

Mr Chow Li Chong Eric 

Mr Chu Sin-I 

Ms Chuah Ai Mey 

Ms Clarisa Sibulo 

Mr Cyrus Yeong 

Dr Dharmawan Jorry 

Dr Diono H. Beatrice 

Dr Du Juan 


SIFST Member List 

Mrs Erh-Ho Guek Keow Cynthia 

Dr Gabrielle Lee Wah Koh 

Dr Gan Heng Hui 

Dr Geetha Bansai 

Prof Goh Kelvin 

Ms Gwee Choon Nghee 

Mr Hooi Kok Kuang 

Mr Huan Chee Meng 

Dr Huang Dejian 

Dr Izabela Gladkowska Balewicz 

Mr Jorry Dharmawan 

Mr Justin Li 

Mrs Kalpana Bhaskaran 

Ms Kang Cecilia 

Ms Kaur Ravinder 

Ms Ker Seok Luan Luana 

Mr Khaw Min Cheh Richard 

Ms Khoo Poh Li 

Mr Kiran Paithankar 

Mr Koay Feng Ling Gregory 

Mr Koh Boon Liang 

Mrs Koh Siok Im 

Ms Kong Siew Peng Sharon 

Ms Kuah Lay Hong Evelyn 

Mrs Ku-Chong Lee Fong 

Mrs Kwa Biauw Ling 

Dr Kwok Kian Sze 

Mr Lam Nen Ying Ken 

Mr Larry Chia Yew Boon 

Ms Lau Kum Yee 

Ms Lea Fe Tejado Bandiola 

Ms Lee Chooi Lan 

Ms Lee Lay See 

Mr Lee Liat Sneah 

Dr Lee Ming 

Ms Lee Soo Min Evelyn 

Ms Lee Yoke Ching 

Dr Lee Yuan Kun 

Ms Leong Woon Ying Jasmine 

Dr Lim Allan 

Dr Lim Bee Gim 

Ms Lim Kim Lian Petrina 

Mr Lim Ren Hann 

Ms Lim Seok Bee 

Mr Lim Swee Ling 

Mr Lim Wen Sheng 

Mr Lim Ye Sen 

Ms Lin Zhiyin 

Dr Liu Meihui 

Dr Liu Shao Quan 

Dr Liu Yeting 

Ms Loh Pei Li Lynette 

Dr Loke Wai Mun 

Mr Loo Alvin 

Mr Low Kai Fong Lawrence 

Dr Low Mei Yin 

Mr Low Teng Yong 

Mr Lwe Kai Wen 

Dr Molamma Prabhakaran 

Ms Neo Geok Tin 

Ms Ng Ann Go Cheryl 

Dr Ng Cher Siang 

Mr Ng Kok Keong Alex 

Mr Ng Mien Nee 

Ms Ngan-Loong Mann Na 

Prof O'Brien Gerard Michael 

Dr Ong Mei Horng 

Dr Oni Yuliarti 

Dr Patane Michael 

Mdm Phang Choon Seng Helen 

Mr Phay Tat Guan Sam 

Ms Priyaporn Choonde 

Ms Quek Seow Chiang Linda 

Mr Roni Wiguna 

Dr Serene Choo 

Mrs Ser-Low Wai Ming 

Ms Shyamala Raja Segar 

Ms Sim Theng Theng 

Mr Sin Fook Choy Paul 

Ms Sze Wee Ping 

Ms Tai Mee Yin 

Mr Tan Ah Bah Albert 

Ms Tan Ai Tsing 

Mr Tan Boon Hwa Jasper 

Mrs Tan Chong Min 

Mr Tan Keng Beng 

Mr Tan Sen Min 

Ms Tan Siew Yan 

Ms Tan Yan Ling 

Dr Tay Hong Soon Ryan 

Mr Tay Li Wen Wesley 

Mrs Tay Sion Yeh 

Mrs Tay-Chan Su Chin 

Mr Tee Ai Ben Albert 

Ms Teng Yee Meau 

Ms Teo Siew Guat Margaret 

Mr Tham Keng Leong 

Mr Tham Whye Pin Allen 

Mr Ting Heng Luan 

Ms Toh Hui Kheng 

Dr Wang Rong Mabel 

Ms Wendy Lee 

Mr Wong Chiang Siang 

Mr Wong Jie Long Jerome 

Mr Wong Siew Fai 

Mr WONG Weng Wai 

Mr Wong Yow Fook Jack 

Mrs Wong-Chan Mei Hong Jeanette 

Dr Yang Hongshun 

Mr Yau Hean Tong Victor 

Mr Yeo Thiam Soon Eric 

Mr Yeoh Phiak Hong 

Ms Zhang Yu 

Dr Zhao Junyu, Matthew 

Prof Zhou Weibiao 

STUDENT MEMBERS 

Aaron Pwoh 

Al Ho 

Ang Yu Xi 

Angela Goh 

Angeline Goh 

Arulchandran Arulmalar 

Audrey Chua 

Chan Jia Xin 

Chen Lin 

Chen Qimin 

Chian Huey 

Chng Lie 

Chook Win Yan 

Chow Jing En 

Chu Crystal 

Chu Hui Ting 

Chun Xuan Po 

Clarence Tan 

Craig D'Souza 

Esther Ong 

Felicia Lie 

Germaine Thong 

Goh Christine 

Goh Mei Hui 

Goh Yi Qian 

Goh Zhi Yan 

Gomes Gared 

Grace Foong 

Hanny Putri Pranata 

Ho Melia 

Ho Nha 

Ho Zhi Qing 

Hoong Qi Rong 

Huang Min 

Isaac Lim 

Kang Yan 

Kek Yan Ting 

Koh Jia Yu 

Koh Si Hui, Audrey 

Koh Xin Ying, Bernice 

Kuan Christal 

Kuan Jing Yi Nicole 

Kwek Marcus 

Lee Si Kai 

Lee Yi En, Jayne 

Leo Hui Yuan 

Li Miaozi 

Li Xinzhi 

Li Zhaojie, George 

Lim Jing Mun 

Lim Jun Kai, Renfred 

Lin Yi 

Liu Yang 

Liu Zhi Yun 

Loh Wen Wei 

Loitha Preksha Nidhi Kohir 

Low Ze Ying 

Ma Xiying 

Manfred Ku 

Mao Yihan 

Mardiana Puteri 

Muhammad Aiman B Hassan 

Muhammad Aizad B A Rahim 

Nadia Farah 

Neo Jeralyn 

Ng Celine 

Ng Kaicheng, Aaron 

Ng Wan Xuan 

Ng Wanyu 

Nicholas Ng 

Nur Yannie Mohd Sapri 

Nurul Helydia 

Ong Poh Lay 

Ong Su Xin, Esther 

Ong Wai Peng 

Peggy Ng 

Poornima Vijayan 

Quek Xing Yu 

Rohaizad Khairah 

Ryan Yow 

Samantha Chia 

Sean Tan 

Servina Chan 

Sew Shu Wen 

Shaun Loo 

Sherilyn Ho 

Shivadarrshini, D/O Kaurnanethi 

Shraddha Mundra 

Soh Yuyan, Tammy 

Tan Han Sheng 

Tan Jia Wei 

Tan Si Jia 

Tang Xin Yi 

Tao Junrui 

Tay Ji Juan, Venus 

Tay Kovis 

Tay Ming Kiat 

Ten Mei Zhen, Michelle 

Teo Jiamin 

Teo Xin Yan 

Teo Xuan Wei 

Vanesa Chia 

Wong Hui Qi Kimberly 

Wong Yen Yen 

Yan Li Hui 

Yang Dongying 

Yang, Liu 

Yeo Jiamin, Charmaine 

Yeon Liang Jun 

Yong Hon Keat 

Yu Xi 

Zhou Yige 

Zhou Yu Ying, Eunice 


70 

SHOW PREVIEW 

Food + Beverage Indonesia 2021: Driving Indonesia’s 

food industry growth with modern technologies 

High market demand 

makes food processing 

and beverage production 

attractive as a manufacturing 

sector. This industry is 

poised to provide great opportunities 

for suppliers of raw materials as well as 

providers of food and beverage solutions. 

Food + Beverage Indonesia will return 

for its second edition with a new date 

from 13-16 Oct 2021 at the Jakarta 

International Expo (JIExpo) Kemayoran, 

Jakarta, Indonesia. The event is set to be 

the ideal sourcing venue for Indonesia’s 

food-related business with opportunities 

to meet domestic and foreign food 

processing technology suppliers, food 

raw materials and ingredient producers, 

product distributors, and service 

innovators. 

The four-day exhibition will expand the 

food and beverage industry into six subevents. 

They are Coffee and Tea Expo; 

Sweet and Snack Expo; Organic Food 

Expo; Wine, Spirit and Gourmet Festival; 

International Indonesia Seafood and Meat 

(IISM) Expo; and Indonesia Gold Chain 

Expo. 

Food + Beverage Indonesia will be held 

concurrently with Chef Expo and Kitchen 

+ Bathroom Indonesia Exhibition, which 

will produce a great synergy and will be 

the gathering place for specialists and 

professionals in the culinary sector, food 

and beverage producers, restaurant owners, 

the hospitality sector, tableware suppliers, 

end-product sellers, entrepreneurs, to end 

consumers. 

Through this exhibition, visitors will also 

explore the world of food innovation through 

cooking competitions, demonstrations by 

celebrity chefs, and other events. FBA 

Food + Beverage Indonesia will be held from 13-16 Oct 2021 at the Jakarta International Expo 


EVENTS CALENDAR 

71 

2021 

JANUARY 

25 – 28 Sustainable Food Summit (NA Virtual Edition) 

www.sustainablefoodssummit.com/northamerica 

FEBRUARY 

2 – 4 Vitafoods Asia (Virtual Event) 

www.vitafoodsasia.com 

3 – 5 PackEx India 

Bombay Exhibition Centre 

Mumbai, India 

www.packexindia.com 

3 – 5 Anutec Ingredients India 

Bombay Exhibition Centre 

Mumbai, India 

www.anutecingredientsindia.com 

9 - 12 FoodEx Japan 

Makuhari Messe 

Chiba, Japan 

www.jma.or.jp/foodex/en/ 

25 – 3 interpack 

(Cancelled) Messe Düsseldorf, Germany 

www.interpack.com 

MARCH 

4 – 6 Sino-Pack 

Area A, China Import and Export Fair Complex 

Guangzhou, China 

www.chinasinopack.com/GPAC21/idx/eng 

16 – 18 Food Ingredients China 

National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) 

Shanghai, China 

www.en.fic.cfaa.cn 

APRIL 

7 – 10 Food Pack Asia 

Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) 

Bangkok, Thailand 

www.foodpackthailand.com 

22 – 24 FoodTech Krasnodar 

Expograd Yug, Krasnodar, Russia 

www.foodtech-krasnodar.ru/en-gb 

MAY 

18 – 20 SIAL China 

Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) 


en.sialchina.com 

JUNE 

1 – 4 FOOMA Japan 

Aichi Sky Expo 

Aichi Prefecture, Japan 

www.foomajapan.jp/english 

16 – 19 ProPak Asia 



www.propakasia.com 

23 – 25 Hi & Fi-Asia China 

National Exhibition Convention Centre (NECC) 


www.figlobal.com/china/en/home.html 

JULY 

28 – 30 ProPak Vietnam 

Saigon Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) 

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 

www.propakvietnam.com 

SEPTEMBER 

15 – 17 Fi Asia 



www.figlobal.com/asia-thailand 

22 – 23 Vitafoods Asia 

Sands Expo and Convention Centre 

Singapore 

www.vitafoodsasia.com 

28 – 30 Asia Fruit Logistica 

AsiaWorld Expo, Hong Kong 

www.asiafruitlogistica.com 

30 – 2 ProPak India 

Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC) 

Mumbai, India 

propakindia.com 

OCTOBER 

11 - 13 Health Ingredients Korea 

Hall D, COEX 

Seoul, South Korea 

www.hi-korea.net/en/main/main.php 

13 – 15 FoodTech Japan 

Makuhari Messe 

Chiba, Japan 

www.foodtechjapan.jp/en-gb.html 

13 - 16 Food + Beverage Indonesia 

Jakarta International Expo (JI Expo) 

Jakarta, Indonesia 

www.foodbeverageindonesia.com 

21 – 23 Food Japan 2021 

Suntec Singapore 

Singapore 

oishii-world.com/en 

27 – 30 AllPack Indonesia 

Jakarta International Expo (JI Expo) 

Jakarta, Indonesia 

allpack-indonesia.com 


72 

ADVERTISERS' INDEX 

COMPANY 

PAGE 

COMPANY 

PAGE 

Anuga 47 

Heat and Control 7 

Fi China 25 

Igus 9 

Flexicon 

OBC 

Solar Turbines 1 

Food + Beverage Indonesia 

IBC 

SweeGen 13 

Why wait? 

Get your 

brand out 

there now! 


For information, visit us www.foodbeverageasia.com or contact us at sales@pabloasia.com 


Boosting Indonesia’s 

Food Industry 

with Technology 

Organized by: 

BOOK YOUR 

SPACE NOW! 

PT WAHANA KEMALANIAGA MAKMUR 

Perkantoran Graha Kencana Blok CH-CI Jl. Raya Pejuangan No. 88 Kebon Jeruk • Jakarta 11530 • Indonesia 

Tel: (62) 21 5366 0804 • Fax: (62) 21 5325 890/887 • Email: info@foodtechinternational.net

Food & Beverage Asia December 2020/January 2021

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