[UPDATE on Nov. 26 at 6:50pm: Growthwell's press release was amended, and no longer mentions that ChickP isolate will be used in Chickiee nuggets. This article has been updated accordingly.]
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A new homegrown plant-based food brand, HAPPIEE!, will be entering Singapore's plant-based food scene in 2022.
Their brand new facility in Senoko Industrial Estate, where the products will be manufactured, was unveiled on Nov. 24.
HAPPIEE! plant-based products
The HAPPIEE! brand is being launched by a local plant-based nutrition food tech company and alt-protein manufacturer, Growthwell.
Consumers in Singapore can expect to see the new kid on the block in retail stores and supermarkets sometime in the first quarter of 2022.
Distributed by Country Foods and Indoguna, the range of products comprises:
- HAPPIEE! Plant-based Chickiee Nugget
- HAPPIEE! Plant-based Chickiee Popcorn
- HAPPIEE! Plant-based Fishiee Sticks
- HAPPIEE! Plant-based Fishiee Patty
According to Growthwell, HAPPIEE! "chicken" products are soy-based, while its "fish" products are made with konjac.
What else is in the pipeline?
Also from the HAPPIEE! Plant-based range is the Chickiee Patties, its breadcrumb-coated counterpart Breaded Chickiee Patties, and Salmoniee Flakes.
The Salmoniee Flakes product is made with soy and incorporated with Omega-3 derived from algae, and will be launching soon.
As pink as the fishy real deal, Growthwell said the Salmoniee Flakes' pinkish colour is derived from vegetables.
Here's a closeup of the texture and colour of the raw Salmoniee flakes:
Growthwell is also looking into chickpea-based products, such as a non-dairy alternative milk made with chickpeas.
This will be done by leveraging onto ChickP, an Israeli food technology startup that developed a proprietary technology and process that extracts 90 per cent of the protein from raw chickpeas, and is high in protein, fibre, and minerals.
While the milk is still in its trial phase, the product is said to have a creamier taste than other competitors on the market.
How are the products produced?
Growthwell's plant-based products will be made through the high moisture extrusion (HME) process.
It's a lot of science, but what the process basically does is to transform raw vegetable protein into into a product with textures and fibres. Just like what is found in an animal protein, minus the animal.
How the product turns out depends on conditions like temperature, moisture content, and pressure.
These conditions can be tweaked to produce different kinds of final output to simulate the textures found in chicken, beef, or pork.
Here are photos of the fibres in a HME raw product:
Here is a video of the "flakes" within a finished HAPPIEE! Plant-based Fishiee Patty:
Where will it be produced?
All of the HAPPIEE! products can be produced locally in Growthwell's new innovation, R&D, and manufacturing centre at JTC Foodhub Senoko.
The facility is Singapore's first fully automated large scale plant-based production facility. It is also the first facility with a production scale HME line.
Speaking at the opening, Growthwell's Executive Director, Justin Chou said:
"The capacity here allows us to produce 4,000 to 5,000 metric tonnes of plant protein annually, and so we will be supporting Singapore's '30 by 30' vision and commitment to sustainability goals."
As part of Singapore's Green Plan 2030, the nation hopes to be more self-sufficient, and produce 30 per cent of its food needs locally by 2030.
Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and Environment, Grace Fu gave a speech at the opening, saying:
"Alternative proteins, such as plant-based proteins, have the potential to supplement Singapore's agricultural capabilities, and contribute to [the 30 by 30] goal as well."
Fu added that the government is working to develop Singapore into the region's leading R&D hub in agri-food technology.
This includes awarding grants to drive innovation in future foods, sustainable urban food production, and food safety science.
The government is also helping companies to commercialise their R&D efforts and bring products to market more quickly.
Other plant-based food in Singapore
All images by Fiona Tan, unless stated otherwise