Singapore Ready Meals Rising In Popularity
Wednesday, October 25th, 2017 | 4298 Views
Singapore Ready Meals Rising In Popularity Demand for ready-to-eat (RTE) meals has been on the rise as consumer behaviour towards convenience foods grows with busy lifestyles.
The food innovation and resource centre (FIRC) at Singapore Polytechnic, an education institution, has worked on 1,000 projects from 620 companies. These projects range from innovative new food products for the Asian market to new workflow and automation that raise productivity.
To tap on the RTE market, Singapore-based Li Da Foods has partnered with FIRC to translate a local dish—chicken rendang—into an RTE meal.
After a year of research and development, the centre developed a halal and healthy chicken rendang in a retort pouch. The RTE meal, comprising chicken breast in gravy, could be prepared within a minute. The stable shelf life and robust packaging of the RTE meal also allowed the company to sell the meal in markets outside of Singapore.
To bring food innovation further, the centre has also developed RTE food concepts such as halal-certified vegetarian black pasta and local favourite Hainanese chicken rice with a low glycemic index which can be dispensed from a vending machine. These food concepts showcase the possibilities in food and packaging technologies that will enable local food manufacturers to innovate and grow new market segments.
Food companies can also tap on the centre’s expertise to compete in overseas markets. One company which had done so is Cocoba Private Limited, manufacturer of salted egg fish skin and potato chips. After nine months of trials and tests, the shelf-life Cocoba’s products were able to be extended with the latest packaging technologies. Its products can now be found in the Philippines and will soon be exported to Hong Kong and Indonesia.
“The centre has been a valued partner in championing the adoption of food science and technology over the past decade. (Its) efforts are critical in fostering a strong food innovation ecosystem that accelerates the development of commercial-ready products with global appeal, and helps companies stay ahead of the curve,” said Kee Ai Nah, group director, industry and enterprise, SPRING Singapore—a statutory board that helps manufacturers in the country.
Further reading:
● The Advantages Of Cold Aseptic Filling
● UK Packaged Food And Beverages Are The Healthiest
● Singapore Introduces New Nutrition Labels And Advertising Ban For High-Sugar Beverages
● High Performance With A Small Footprint
● IGD: Growth Of Asia’s Online Grocery
● Flexicon Opens New Office In Jakarta
● The Potato Is Making A Comeback
● Dinner RTE Foods Rising In Popularity Globally
● US Dairy Partnership Inspires Food Innovation In Southeast Asia
Tech For The “Clean Eating” Generation
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