00:00Look at the spread of the food!
00:03It's all plant-based.
00:05Can you believe it?
00:07Because the population is growing,
00:10the need for protein will always be there.
00:14So how are we going to get the protein?
00:15It cannot be through normal animal sources anymore.
00:19So who's going to fill that gap?
00:21We want to create sustainable nutrition for the world.
00:24Food is everyone's business.
00:27In this series,
00:28we'll explore how innovative technologies
00:31and local initiatives are rethinking
00:33the way we produce and consume food.
00:37Welcome to Future Food,
00:39where we explore the food production of tomorrow.
00:45In this episode,
00:46we'll take you behind the scenes
00:48to see how healthier food options are being created,
00:51enhancing food security and nutrition in Singapore.
00:55Today, my search has brought me
00:57to Neurasa's Food Tech Innovation Centre.
01:01Thanks, Yilin, for inviting us today
01:03to have the Neurasa experience.
01:05Welcome, Yilin.
01:06It is really our pleasure to have you here.
01:08Neurasa actually is quite a new company.
01:11We launched in 2021,
01:12but with a big mission for the long term
01:15and also an ambitious goal
01:18in terms of how to help Asia's sustainable food.
01:22So how did Neurasa come up with the idea
01:24of creating holistic nutrition?
01:27We have formed this collaborative community
01:32for like-minded innovators, scientists,
01:35researchers, consumer-focused companies
01:38to create an ecosystem
01:41that allows us to bring the idea
01:43to the consumer table quicker and faster.
01:46So it's nutrition of the head, heart and body.
01:49Yes.
01:49That was legitimate.
01:51So what trends are you seeing
01:52in the nutritional needs of Singaporeans?
01:54And how is Neurasa uniquely positioned
01:57to meet those trends?
01:58In the Singapore markets,
02:00already indicated a high interest
02:03for people looking for sustainable, nutritious,
02:06healthy, but conveniently produced
02:07and packed food for them.
02:08We really want to take this opportunity,
02:12make sure that consumer will have access
02:16to affordable and better for you and yummy food.
02:21Hi, everyone.
02:21So I've got some special friends with me today
02:24because good things must share.
02:26So I have David here with me.
02:27He's the head of innovation delivery at Neurasa.
02:30And we have a special guest.
02:34By now, you may think I'm the brains behind the show,
02:36but really there's someone working really hard
02:38behind the scenes.
02:39She's our director and producer, Angel.
02:42I'm here in front of the screen.
02:44The food has brought me here.
02:45So shall we have a taste test?
02:48Yes.
02:49And what you have in front of you
02:51is exactly the same dish on our official opening
02:54that was presented to VPN Mr. Heng.
02:57I feel very honoured.
02:58Yeah.
02:59I feel like eating everything now.
03:00Yeah.
03:01Yes.
03:01So let's dig in from the congee first.
03:05Oh.
03:07It looks like mushrooms, but actually it's not, right?
03:11It's...
03:11I shall not spill the beans out of the bag.
03:14All right.
03:17Okay, it tears like meat.
03:18So I'm guessing like it's meat.
03:20Mmm.
03:21It's so yummy.
03:23Tastes like duck, but like...
03:25It's got a lot of mala.
03:26Got a bit of mala taste.
03:28Mmm.
03:29Spot on.
03:30You got it right.
03:31It's mala duck.
03:32So this is using a high-moisture extrusion
03:35whereby it mimics the fibrous texture of the bean.
03:39So it's made mainly using soy...
03:42Soy protein.
03:44Yeah.
03:44And with that,
03:45the consumer will be able to get their protein intake
03:49at a really sustainable angle.
03:51It's great that I don't really taste the soy at all.
03:54So when it tears open, I thought that it really was like meat.
03:59I will eat this instead of duck
04:00because duck is sometimes way too chewy.
04:02I find it very hard to bite through.
04:05I think this will solve my cognitive dissonance
04:08because I love duck on the plate,
04:10but also I think they're very cute.
04:12So now I don't have to have that morality issue.
04:15I can just eat...
04:16Shall we progress to the next dish?
04:18Yes!
04:18From malalalala to burrito!
04:21Very chicken-y.
04:22Smells like a fast-food joint that I cannot say.
04:25Mmm!
04:26That is really good.
04:28It's um...
04:29Yeah, it's chicken.
04:31Your louse?
04:31Mm-hmm.
04:32But you also get louse in the sauce.
04:34So the flavouring and this is how we are benchmarking
04:37some of the products that resonate with our consumers.
04:40Can I make this from tofu at home though?
04:43No, you'll not be able to
04:45because tofu is generally soft in texture.
04:48You're not able to get the shape,
04:50the size of this piece that fits into the pitang bread.
04:54So everything is really customised.
04:57It's such a great food to eat on set.
04:59So if this is affordable
05:01and within budget of production,
05:02I will definitely get it.
05:03Uh, crew, are you recording this?
05:06Are we ready to travel to another part of the world?
05:08Yes, Japan!
05:10Yes!
05:11And that is katsu curry don.
05:14Oh, it's so layered.
05:16Look at this!
05:17Look, can you see?
05:18It's like layered.
05:20Like real chicken thigh.
05:22This machine behind me
05:24enables products to be made
05:26from chicken strips like this
05:28to deep-fried coated chicken patty like this
05:31which consumers can relate to.
05:33So with the batter, it looks...
05:35It looks better?
05:37Yes, it looks better with the batter.
05:40Mmm!
05:42The rating just gets higher and higher.
05:44I would say this is a 9.5 out of 10
05:47for, I mean, the score in terms of
05:51being close to what it is.
05:52But they were all 10 out of 10 in taste.
05:55Well, what you have tasted today
05:56is also part of our innovation prize
05:59to achieve towards something that is palatable
06:03and also something that can easily replace food
06:06with sustainable food.
06:07So from Japan,
06:08I'm going to reel you back to Singapore.
06:11Can you guess what dish is this?
06:13Sotong!
06:14It's nasi lemak!
06:16Sotong nasi lemak?
06:18That's blue pea rice.
06:19Yes, I know.
06:21This is such a beautiful display of colours.
06:24Just visually, it's so attractive.
06:27I'm poking it and it actually feels like sotong.
06:30It is sotong.
06:31No, it's not! It's not this!
06:35It's springy.
06:36Mmm!
06:37Would local vendors be able to get, say, meat like that
06:41at the same price that they're getting
06:43like real sotong or real chicken?
06:46For sure, if you get the real sotong,
06:48it would be definitely more expensive
06:50because anything that's considered as seafood,
06:52there's always a premium over it.
06:55And this is where we make it price-targeted,
06:57where local consumers can just go in
07:00and get the experience of having a calamari
07:03into a sambal sotong.
07:05So if people have an allergy issue with seafood,
07:08are they able to eat this?
07:09Absolutely, because there's really no seafood in this.
07:12But it tastes like there's seafood!
07:15So this is where the magic of food tech happens.
07:19What is the feasibility to use such meats for hawkers?
07:23You can implement it as soon as possible.
07:26These products are already available in the market.
07:29Oh, are they?
07:29Yes.
07:30Where can I get the sotong thingy?
07:32I can pass you the contact address.
07:34Oh, great!
07:36So after this, I can just bring it home?
07:37Yeah, bring it home.
07:39You cook, I eat.
07:39Okay.
07:41This is one of my favourite go-tos to eat.
07:42I love nasi lemak,
07:43and when it's pretty, it's even prettier and nicer to eat.
07:46And I love sotong, so this was a treat for me today.
07:49And with that, we'll move on to our next dish,
07:52a national favourite we call raksa.
07:55I forgot to guess what is this made of.
07:58It's tofu, right?
08:00Same.
08:00Soy.
08:02Kuajang.
08:03Oh!
08:03Oh!
08:05So if this is made of konjac,
08:07does it mean that it has low calories?
08:09It is.
08:10Konjac is low calories?
08:11Yeah!
08:13Is it zero calories?
08:14I don't see.
08:15Oh!
08:15And this is good for like, if you go on diet,
08:17since you like squid, right?
08:19Yes!
08:21Yes, yes, yes, yes!
08:22Give me the number of the squid guy later.
08:23This actually looks like fish.
08:25Look at the texture.
08:26It looks like it's sliced fish,
08:27but it's actually, what's...
08:29Squid.
08:29Squid, okay.
08:31Mmm!
08:40Is this made of konjac?
08:43Yes.
08:44Okay.
08:45It's really good though.
08:45It's really, like, it's genuinely good.
08:48I'm gonna start expecting you guys can make like,
08:51vegan oysters.
08:52Woo!
08:53Good idea.
08:53Or vegan sashimi or something,
08:55because like, the standard has just been raised, hasn't it?
08:57Yes!
08:58Yeah!
08:59Look at the prawn though.
09:01The cross-section is actually...
09:02It's actually pretty...
09:04The cross-section, it looks it,
09:05quite pretty convincing lah,
09:06just don't have the dirt.
09:08The what?
09:08The intestines.
09:11She says it's missing the poo-poo.
09:13That's not what I speak about.
09:14To be realistic.
09:15So, to your point,
09:16there's no need for deveining at all?
09:18No need for deveining,
09:19and people who are allergic to seafood can eat this.
09:22So, so many benefits.
09:24But it does have this sweetness
09:26that seafood usually come with.
09:29Yeah.
09:29And because of the colour,
09:31it really looks like prawn.
09:32Yeah.
09:33Is this konjac again?
09:35Yes.
09:36Wow, because...
09:37I mean, I'm kind of mind-blown because
09:39it becomes such a versatile ingredient.
09:42Yeah.
09:43But it does deliver the satiety
09:46that you choose to have with this.
09:47Oh, okay.
09:48Wow, I better pivot to konjac diet.
09:51Does this have protein in it?
09:53Very low.
09:54This is more to deliver experience.
09:56What can I choose
09:58as a non-vegetarian?
10:01So, this concludes our wonderful
10:03and very shiok tasting experience
10:06at the Nurasa Food Tech Innovation Centre.
10:09Thank you, David.
10:10And thank you, Angel,
10:11for coming in front of the camera to join me today.
10:14And I think we can look forward to
10:16experiencing this, hopefully,
10:18in our hawker centres very soon.
10:21To learn more about future food,
10:23I met with a senior scientist
10:25who works at ASTAR
10:27and Nurasa's Food Processing Joint Lab.
10:30Hi there, my name is Euline.
10:31Hi, Euline. I'm Ji Hong.
10:32I'm a senior scientist at the
10:33Food Process Engineering Department
10:35in ASTAR CFB.
10:36Thanks for having us here today.
10:38So, what do you think matters most to Singaporeans
10:40when we talk about alternative food?
10:43Yes, so there are a few key
10:45matters that actually affect.
10:47So, the first one is to the taste and texture.
10:50For example, in our Singapore Food Story grant project,
10:53we actually developed very popular
10:55Asian-based products like
10:56siu mai and gyoza.
10:58So, these have been subjected to
10:59sensory analysis to see whether
11:01this taste and texture are meeting
11:03the consumer expectations.
11:06So, for the second one is affordability.
11:08And the third one is actually
11:10good nutritional values.
11:11So, these plant-based ingredients
11:13are also being subjected to
11:15metabolic health effects,
11:17such as understanding the blood glucose
11:19when the subjects ingest the product.
11:21Thank you for joining us today.
11:23From cutting-edge technology to
11:25creating healthier food options,
11:27Neurasa is significantly contributing
11:29to the future of sustainable nutrition
11:31in Singapore.
11:33Stay tuned for our next episode at
11:34Singapore Poly's Future Food Lab.
11:37See you next time!
11:52Okay, it's all mine.
11:54This is mine.
11:56This is mine.
11:59Okay.
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