Food tech firm Mottainai has recently opened a pilot facility capable of upcycling up to 100 tonnes of food by-products annually, tapping on its versatile technology to valorise multiple by-products such as barley spent grain and cocoa bean shells into snacks and beverages.
Co-Founder Daryl Pek emphasised that upcycled food can be nutritional, delicious, and affordable – providing more value than just environmental friendliness, which is crucial for commercial success.
Its initial success in producing okara-based meat has led to it pursuing other upcycle food products using other side streams like barley spent grain, cocoa bean shells and sesame mill amongst others. Its first commercial product, Jiro Meat is a good source of protein and dietary fibre, and retains texture and moisture even after cooking. It is also affordable as okara is a cheap ingredient. Mottainai has also commercialised cocoa-flavoured beverages made from cocoa bean shells.
In addition, Mottainai provides technical expertise to help start-ups turn side streams into commercially viable and healthier alternatives.
As the global food industry faces pressure from both consumers and governments to lower carbon footprint and improve food security, Mottainai sees this as an opportunity to expand beyond Singapore shores.
Pek mentioned that the local market is too small to warrant any capacity expansion, as such Mottainai aims to enter bigger markets like US and Europe where upcycling, food alternatives and latest food tech innovations are far more appreciated. It is open to joint-venture and partnership opportunities in these markets.
