Singapore Novel Foods and Plant Protein

The Agri-food industry in Asia is projected to double its spending on food over the next decade, from US$4 trillion to US$8 trillion by 2030. 

Singapore recognizes that there is growing interest and viability for meat substitutes such as plant-based meats and cultured meats.  As such, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has released details of its Safety Assessment Requirements for novel foods.  This is expected to be revised periodically as the novel food space evolves and to maintain food safety standards.  This progressive move will enable food businesses the space to innovate and produce new products, while ensuring that any food safety risks of these new and novel products are identified early and managed. 

The Safety Assessment Requirements apply to foods and food ingredients that do not have a history of safe use. A history of safe use is defined as substances that have been consumed as an ongoing part of the diet by a significant human population for at least a twenty-year period and without reported adverse human health effects.  Singapore is the first country in the world to approve “lab-grown” meat products for sale.  A U.S. start-up producing cellular chicken bites was the first company to receive approval. 

Recognizing that technology is a game-changer and mindful of Singapore’s water and land constraints, Singapore’s sovereign fund, Temasek, has invested close to $5 billion into four core areas – sustainable proteins, supply chain resilience, affordable nutrition, and urban food systems.  Currently, the price points for cellular-based proteins are still beyond what consumers may be willing to pay so new R&D is needed to bring prices down to be more palatable for consumers.  Temasek has also established an international foodtech innovation center in partnership with A*STAR, Singapore’s national science agency.  It houses bioreactors, test kitchens and other kinds of shared resources with the aim of bringing these promising technologies to market as quickly as possible.  The initial focus is precision fermentation and the production of plant-based proteins. 

U.S. firms would find that Singapore provides both conducive business and progressive regulatory environments.  However, key challenges are navigating regulatory considerations and forming the right partnerships to test and launch products.  Interested firms may refer to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) Agri-food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund, which is available till December 2025. 

U.S. companies who wish to explore these opportunities or partner with Singapore entities may contact Ms. Luanne Theseira at the U.S. Commercial Service in Singapore at Luanne.Theseira@trade.gov