Last Friday, August 30, 2024, marked the conclusion of the Upcycle Revival Challenge 2024 (URC 2024), an event organized by Singapore Polytechnic, the Food Innovation and Resource Centre (FIRC), Enterprise Singapore, and the Singapore Food Manufacturing Association. The challenge was proudly sponsored by KH Roberts and FoodPlant Pte Ltd.
Eight food SMEs and startups participated in this exciting challenge, including Tan Seng Kee Foods, Fish Soup Paradise, the Soy Company (Mr. Bean), Hara Soy, Dole Food Company, Mycrocell, Mycosortia, and KosmodeHealth Singapore. Mycosortia was thrilled to be among the participating companies.
The URC 2024 aimed to engage final-year project students from Singapore Polytechnic’s School of Chemical & Life Sciences in developing innovative, sustainable foods using side streams generated in the food industry. Students from the School of Media, Arts and Design also contributed by designing packaging and marketing strategies.
The projects began with ideation through the Transdisciplinary Innovation Project (TIP). By adopting the design thinking methodology, the students conceived the idea of creating plant-based cheese sticks for young adults (25-35) and health-conscious consumers who love cheese. They named their product “Nu-Cheese.” Within two weeks, they developed a preliminary cheese stick prototype, which was showcased at FHA in April and received positive feedback.
The team then focused on improving the recipe, incorporating FibProt (Mycosortia’s proprietary ingredient obtained through upcycling okara) to enhance firmness, meltability, and stretchability. After numerous trials, they finalized the “Nu-Cheese” prototype, which incorporates up to 50% raw okara, offering a smooth texture, mouthfeel, and a distinct cheese flavor. It is truly “cheesier than cheese.”
This prototype was showcased at the URC 2024 finale, where it garnered significant interest. Audiences were impressed with its taste and texture, frequently commenting on how it tasted just like cheese. It is an excellent product for lactose-intolerant consumers. Visitors were also captivated by the campaign tagline “cheesier than cheese,” and the unique marketing video received positive comments, making the experience memorable.
We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to participate in URC 2024. We appreciate the hard work and innovation of the students in creating this groundbreaking plant-based cheese product using our ingredient, FibProt. We are also thankful to the students from MAD for designing the packaging and crafting the impressive marketing campaign, which left a lasting impression on visitors.
Additionally, we extend our gratitude to the Future Food Lab of Singapore Polytechnic for providing the space, facilities and supervision for the students to conduct this project. We look forward to bringing Nu-Cheese to the market very soon.