From brownie lager to bigger ambitions: Mottainai’s upcycling strategy
Singapore-based Mottainai has created a brownie-flavoured lager in its journey towards upcycled products for wider commercial use.
Using cocoa bean shells in the lager introduces phenolic compounds into the beer, reflecting Mottainai’s broader focus on creating upcycled foods with improved nutritional value.
“Cocoa bean shells have been reported to contain beneficial phenolic compounds, such as catechins also found in tea. Using them in lager production can transfer these compounds into the beer,” Mottainai co-founder Daryl Pek told us.
Nudging Asia towards sustainability amid shifting regulatory rules
Creativity and functionality are key to driving eco-friendly packaging amid regulatory shifts in Asia
Flexible, long-life, and single serve packaging formats are allowing brands to explore new consumption occasions.
As an example, Dole’s Fruit Pops are packaged in aseptic packs that can be stored at ambient temperatures, chilled, or frozen – depending on whether it is taken as regular juice, a cocktail mixer, or a popsicle.
Yeo’s also launched a limited edition orchid chrysanthemum tea – featuring Singapore’s iconic Supertrees, Merlion, and orchid on its packaging – to celebrate the nation’s 60th birthday.
Cocoa crunch: How shortages are rewriting chocolate’s future
As climate, disease and regulation strain global cocoa supply, manufacturers are turning to low‑cocoa and cocoa‑free innovations to protect margins and future-proof their portfolios.
Chocolate was strictly reserved for royalty when the Spanish Conquistadores first brought it to Europe in the 16th century. But in the 500 years since, the continent has grown to be a region of devout chocoholics, eating more than anywhere else on Earth.
The US is not far behind and with India and China now getting a taste for chocolate too, cocoa demand is through the roof. But with climate change placing an unprecedented squeeze on supply, a crunch has long loomed large.
Million‑dollar Sustainable Protein grant aims to fast‑track market entry
The new grant, powered by the Bezos Earth Fund and the Singapore government, aims to advance the development of Sustainable Protein in the region, supporting innovators to accelerate their products’ to-market entry.
Making the shift from science or technology concepts to commercialisation has long been cited by many start-ups as a major hurdle in bringing products to market.
This is a key gap that the Sustainable Protein Growth Stage Grant Call, launched by Enterprise Singapore and The Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, aims to help high-potential growth-stage start-ups in the category overcome, where each start-up could receive up to S$1m (US$776,551.30) in support.
Plant-based failing? Here’s how to win at hybrid
Hybrid meat and dairy strategies are evolving in several key ways.
Plant-based is struggling, and has been for years. As the casualties among meat alternatives pile up – Hooray Foods, Nowadays, and JBS-owned Planterra Foods in the US, and most recently Sweden’s plant-based seafood start-up Hooked Foods – ingredient suppliers now risk facing a supply landscape that no longer matches demand.
Plant-based dairy is no different. Supermarket aisles that once showcased a full suite of alt‑dairy products – milks, ice creams, cheeses, even crème fraîche – have noticeably thinned out.
