Food

<Note> This page is still updating. Check back soon for more update.

Introduction

Food is one of the basic necessities of life.

Food Research Innovation in Singapore

#Food Research Entities in Singapore

  • Singapore Food Agency (SFA) [link]

    • Vision: Safe food for all

    • Mission: To ensure and secure a supply of safe food

  • Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) [link]

    • Launched in 2020, SIFBI aims to bring cutting edge science and technology to the forefront to drive innovation in food, nutrition, ingredients, industrial biotechnology, and many other related applications. SIFBI comprises multi-disciplinary expertise in food science and biotechnology innovation, which serves as an interface to food as well as consumer care industries, providing a conducive environment to nurture talent development in niche areas.


Read more

Application of Light-Emitting Diodes in Food Production, Postharvest Preservation, and Microbiological Food Safety [https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12155]

  • Abstract: Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) possess unique properties that are highly suitable for several operations in the food industry. Such properties include low radiant heat emissions; high emissions of monochromatic light; electrical, luminous, and photon efficiency; long life expectancy, flexibility, and mechanical robustness. Therefore, they reduce thermal damage and degradation in crops and foods and are suitable in cold-storage applications. Control over spectral composition of emitted light results in increased yields and nutritive content of horticultural or agricultural produce. Recently, LEDs have been shown to preserve or enhance the nutritive quality of foods in the postharvest stage, as well as manipulate the ripening of fruits, and reduce fungal infections. LEDs can be used together with photosensitizers or photocatalysts to inactivate pathogenic bacteria in food. UV LEDs, which are rapidly being developed, can also effectively inactivate pathogens and preserve food in postharvest stages. Therefore, LEDs provide a nonthermal means of keeping food safe without using chemical sanitizers or additives, and do not accelerate bacterial resistance. This article provides a review of the technology of LEDs and their role in food production, postharvest preservation, and in microbiological safety. Several challenges and limitations are identified for further investigation, including the difficulty in optimizing LED lighting regimens for plant growth and postharvest storage, as well as the sensory quality and acceptability of foods stored or processed under LED lighting. Nevertheless, LED technology presents a worthy alternative to current norms in lighting for the growth and storage of safe and nutritious food.

Cooked Food Hawking and its Management: the Case of Singapore [https://doi.org/10.3727/154427211X13092645880025]

  • Abstract: A case study of cooked food hawkers in Singapore is presented in this article, which also makes reference to activity in the wider Asian region and beyond. A model of cooked food hawking functions and attributes is devised and forms the analytical framework for the discussion of core characteristics and future prospects. The sector is shown to serve various purposes, including that of tourist amenity, and contributes to local lives and economies in the cities where activity is concentrated. At the same time, hawking poses challenges for authorities concerned about adverse impacts and traditional hawkers are at risk from modernization and globalization. The official approach to dealing with cooked food hawkers in Singapore is revealed to be distinctive regarding the level of intervention and control, reflecting the history and defining features of the city state. Nevertheless, some lessons can be learned from experiences there about the management of hawking in the 21st century, which include the importance of regulation and maintenance of food safety standards. A more general conclusion is that the contribution of cooked food hawkers should be given due recognition in urban planning and tourism marketing.

A Review of Foodborne Disease Outbreaks From 1996 to 2005 in Hong Kong and Its Implications on Food Safety Promotion [https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-4565.2008.00120.x]

  • Abstract: Foodborne diseases are an important cause of morbidity and mortality and are a growing global concern. A series of recent food safety problems has raised much public concern in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region * . Despite the fact that many resources have been spent on food safety promotion, there has been no noticeable impact on the rising trend of local foodborne disease outbreaks. This quantitative research study aimed to identify what should be targeted in the current local food safety promotion. It presented a descriptive analysis of local official statistics from 1996 to 2005, followed by a comparison of foodborne disease outbreaks and food safety measures in some Asian places. Results found that about 72% of total local confirmed outbreaks were caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Salmonella spp., while around 46% of the total outbreaks were due to inadequate cooking and contamination by raw food. It suggests that food safety promotion targeted on these factors may greatly reduce local foodborne disease outbreaks. Further elaboration could have been given if detailed breakdown in each outbreak had been provided.

Technology innovations for food security in Singapore: A case study of future food systems for an increasingly natural resource-scarce world [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2020.06.013]

  • Background: Food security is becoming an increasingly important global issue. Anthropogenic factors such as rapid urbanization and industrialization have strained finite resources like land and water. Therefore, against the impending threat of food security, the world can no longer rely on traditional methods to meet its needs. Instead, more creative and technologically advanced methods must be adopted to maximise diminishing natural resources. Singapore is a good case study of a small city-state that is trying to increase its own self-production of food using technology.

  • Scope and approach: This review highlights the technologies that Singapore have adopted in enhancing food security given its limitation in natural resources. These methodologies serve as a case study that can be used as a reference point in light of the increasingly finite natural resources. The review also presents the advantages of these techniques as well as challenges that need to be overcome for them to be more widely adopted.

  • Key findings and conclusion: To increase self-production of food and enhance its food security, Singapore has employed the use of technologies such as vertical farming and aquaponics in urban farming, nutrient recovery from food waste, biodegradable food packaging from durian rinds, natural preservatives, insect farming, microalgae and cultivated meat as alternative protein sources. These technologies workaround Singapore's land and natural resource constraints, which many countries around the world can adapt. However, many of them are still relatively nascent with numerous challenges, which have to be addressed before they can be widely accepted and implemented.

Read more

Keywords

food safety, A*STAR, NTU, NUS, SFA, AVA, MTI, MSE, video, links, Singapore

Tags

#astarresearch #astar #research #simtech #innovationfactory #serc #food #ASTARforIndustry #CreatingGrowth #innovationfactory #successtory #productdesign #limjunlong