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Giving food waste a new lease of life

food waste

Congratulations to our multidisciplinary teams who emerged among the top winners of the inaugural DBS Foundation X NEA Hungry for Change Challenge 2022, a nationwide zero food waste competition!

the moonbeam co.

An interdisciplinary team comprising NUS graduates and students – KONG Qi Herng (Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Science (FoS) alumnus), LIM Jia Wei (College of Design and Engineering (CDE) alumnus), LIM Jie Qi (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences student), Varden TOH (Data Science and Analytics, FoS student) and WONG Liyang (Business student) – developed processes and communities to upcycle spent grains from incinerators into sustainable and delicious granola. Their pilot will test the feasibility of making large batches of bakeable grains.

(From left) Wong Liyang and Moonbeam co. co-founders Kong Qi Herng and Varden Toh.
(From left) Wong Liyang and Moonbeam co. co-founders Kong Qi Herng and Varden Toh.
From spent grain residue (left) to tasty granola (right).
From spent grain residue (left) to tasty granola (right).

tHEMEat Company

Another interdisciplinary team – led by Chemistry alumnus Max THAM and graduates from Food Science and Technology (FST) and College of Design and Engineering (CDE) – co-founded food technology start-up tHEMEat Company. The team plans to pilot the proprietary flavour catalysis technology developed with Assoc Prof ANG Wee Han (Chemistry), Dr LEONG Lai Peng (FST) and Assoc Prof David LEONG Tai Wei (CDE) to turn extracts from unwanted leafy vegetables into vegan-based meat that accurately replicates the look, smell and taste of meat.

Back row (from left): Co-founders Assoc Professor David Leong (CDE) and Assoc Prof Ang Wee Han (FoS); front row (from left): Max Tham and Dr Leong Lai Peng (FoS).
Dumpling noodles prepared with tHEMEat™ bacon bits that have been infused with the VEME™ Flavour Catalyst technology.
Dumpling noodles prepared with tHEMEat™ bacon bits that have been infused with the VEME™ Flavour Catalyst technology.

Jiro-meat

FST Research Assistant HENG Chin Wee and his team – FST undergraduate Isaac YEO, Scientific Officer OH Kai Ling and Carol ZHENG of Tai Hua Food Industries – studied the translational applications of okara, a nutrient-rich by-product from soy and tofu waste. For the challenge, they came up with Jiro-meat, a nutritious meat alternative made from okara. Their pilot aims to further optimise the profile of Jiro-meat, as well as scale up their technology with support from Tai Hua Food Industries.  

(From left) Jiro-meat founders Heng Chin Wee and Oh Kai Ling, with their mentor Dr Chua Jian Yong.
(From left) Jiro-meat founders Heng Chin Wee and Oh Kai Ling, with their mentor Dr Chua Jian Yong.
Jiro-meat’s version of basil chicken dish using soybean pulp.
Jiro-meat’s version of basil chicken dish using soybean pulp.

The Challenge provides winning teams with S$125,000 funding to pilot their ideas.

Read more at https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/nea-dbs-hungry-for-change-challenge-reduce-food-waste-students-innovations-beer-brewing-by-products-granola

This article first appeared on the Faculty of Science website on 3 April 2023.