Bühler, a food technology provider, has teamed up with Givaudan to open a new innovation centre dedicated to plant-based food in Singapore.

The new facility, located at Givaudan Woodlands site, will be jointly run by the two companies, bringing together a pilot plant featuring Bühler extrusion and processing equipment and a kitchen and flavour laboratory by Givaudan. The facility will be supported by experts from both companies.

The innovation centre will welcome food processing companies, start-ups and university researchers looking to develop innovative plant-based food products.

Fabio Campanile, head of science and technology at Givaudan, said: “We are very proud to launch this initiative. It is a testament that industry leaders can come together to the benefit of the whole food innovation ecosystem.

“The initial focus on extruded products is important as this is a key technology for developing authentic meat alternatives. It is also a great strength for Givaudan – we’ve optimized the flavor and taste aspects and are able to make these extruded products extremely delicious and nutritious to consumers.”

Growing population

Ian Roberts, CTO of Bühler, said the new centre will help find a solution to feeding a growing world population: “The projected population of 10 billion people by 2050 is a challenge too big to be solved alone.

“Companies are increasingly aware of the urgent need to collaborate to make an impact on the climate and nutrition challenges of this century. Universities, start-ups, and companies need to come together to innovate and find more sustainable ways to produce food. This is what this Innovation Centre is all about, and we are pleased we found a like-minded partner to bring this vision to life in Asia, home to half of the world’s population.”