Singapore

Singapore on Wednesday announced new measures to accelerate local food production as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts global supply chains, including a plan to turn car park rooftops in public housing estates into urban farms. The densely populated city-state produces only about 10% of its food needs but has plans to increase that as climate change and population growth threaten global food… Read more

Singapore is looking into developing a comprehensive regulatory framework to govern novel food production for human consumption in the country, which would cover new items such as cell-based meat and alternative proteins. Read more: https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2020/01/22/Next-gen-products-Safety-first-as-Singapore-delves-into-regulatory-framework-for-cell-based-meat Read more

Back to basics. A bowl of ice cold gula melaka sago dessert was all I needed after back-to-back interviews on a sweltering hot Tuesday afternoon. This particular dessert that I scoffed down in seconds was especially impressive because the pandan leaves were freshly picked from the humble yet diverse home garden of 27-year-old Justine Ong-Farmer and her husband… Read more

SINGAPORE - Much has been said about endangered animal species, but Singapore is now also doing its part for threatened plant species in South-east Asia with the opening of the country's first seed bank. The bank - where seeds are stored and conserved - is located at the Botanic Gardens and was launched by the National Parks Board (NParks) on Saturday (July 13). The plan is to use the seeds… Read more

A move to get primary school pupils to junk potato chips and fried chicken wings and snack instead on healthier alternatives like carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes will be launched next month. Called FoodSteps, it plans to start initially in 15 schools in the area run by the South West Community Development Council, with volunteers and food enthusiasts dishing up fun and interactive activities… Read more

In a quiet corner of the National University of Singapore (NUS), scientists are creating the next generation of supercrops that can survive drought and withstand high temperatures. To make urban farming a success in land-scarce Singapore, crops must be climate-resilient, disease-resistant and able to grow well in low light intensity. To develop these traits in crops, their genes must be… Read more

Forest fires are more harmful than previously imagined, causing stunted growth in children who were exposed to smoke while in the womb, according to new research from Duke University and the National University of Singapore. The authors found prenatal exposure to haze from forest fires led to a statistically significant 1.3-inch decrease in expected height at age 17. "Because adult height is… Read more

Cutting down on white rice may not in itself lower a person's risk of getting diabetes, two new studies have found. The risk depends on what the rice is substituted with and the overall quality of a person's diet, said Professor Koh Woon Puay, director of the Centre for Clinician-Scientist Development at Duke-NUS Medical School, a co-author of the studies. Both studies used data from the… Read more

SINGAPORE - Not everyone you see taking photos of their food before eating it may be doing it for Instagram likes. Some may be pre-diabetic patients from Ng Teng Fong General Hospital checking how healthy their meals are. The hospital has teamed up with artificial intelligence (AI) experts from the National University of Singapore (NUS) to develop a new application for people diagnosed with… Read more

Enterprise Singapore’s vision is to develop the Singapore Food Manufacturing sector into a leading food and nutrition hub in Asia by 2025 Enterprise Singapore‘s SEEDS Capital officially open its door to welcome co-partners in grooming Singapore’s agrifood tech companies. The specific choice is a part of the company’s vision to bring Singapore Food Manufacturing sector to… Read more