Australia-Singapore initiative
The Innovations in Food for Precision Health program is a $2.2m joint program between Australia and Singapore, led by CSIRO and Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). The program brings together multiple disciplines of science and technology to inform strategies to improve the health and safety outcomes of innovative foods.
As part of this initiative, public sector researchers were encouraged to apply for a grant and eligible recipients had to ensure their project focused on:
- Supporting consumers in both countries to make healthier food, diet and lifestyle choices.
- Developing new approaches to health by creating personalised foods to prevent and treat disease.
Two-day tailored bootcamp
In February 2020, Singaporean and Australian representatives from the six successful projects travelled to Melbourne to take part in a tailored bootcamp workshop. As part of the bootcamp, teams were able to test, refine and develop their idea, connect to partners and investors, meet with mentors, and gain additional insights to help further develop their pathway to impact.
The six project research areas
- Consumers' sensory responses to alternative proteins and how this differs across cultures
- Pilot study to investigate the feasibility of developing a Singapore retail branded foods database using a new FoodTrack™ methodology
- Understanding the risk of novel insect-based food products
- New plant-ingredients for healthier foods and sustainable planetary diets
- Foods for Gut Health and how consumer’s understanding, expectations and experiences vary across cultures
- New delivery systems for creating nutrient dense, fortified food products
These projects all have a focus on the challenges, and opportunities we face globally. Each team will travel to Singapore in November 2020 to deliver their final project findings.