Food and Consumer
Sustainably sourced innovations designed to prevent diet-related diseases, and skin health solutions that are tested for safety and efficacy through animal-free methods. The Food and Consumer Cluster looks into developing such products as Singapore confronts national and industry challenges. For instance, the prevalence of skin and metabolic diseases in Asia and the demand for sustainable and scientifically-proven products. This is enabled by strategic research programmes that integrate natural and social sciences and engineering expertise and capabilities across A*STAR and Singapore. We ensure that our programmes are relevant and scalable, by bringing together academic, clinical, industry and regulatory partners to formulate our R&D approach.
.jpg?sfvrsn=cc9fe083_2 "BERD of Food and Consumer")
Business enterprise expenditure on food and consumer R&D grew from $393 million in 2013 to $528 million in 2018, at a compound annual growth rate of 6%. The number of researchers, scientists and engineers employed for food and consumer research also increased by 30% over the same period. Leading industry players have set up regional R&D hubs in Singapore and are tapping on A*STAR’s R&D capabilities to create new products and services in the food and consumer sectors.
The Food and Consumer Cluster develops strategic research programmes that integrate natural and social sciences and engineering expertise and capabilities across A*STAR and Singapore. We ensure that our programmes are relevant and scalable, by bringing together academic, clinical, industry and regulatory partners to formulate our R&D approach. Our R&D programmes are built upon three strategic thrusts: Safety, Efficacy and Sustainability. By continuously growing the food and consumer research ecosystem in Singapore, we aim to improve health and create economic value through new innovations for Singapore, Asia and the world.
FOOD & CONSUMER CLUSTER STRATEGY FOR RESEARCH & INNOVATION
-(24-jun-2020)-a.jpg?sfvrsn=328c5001_2 "Astar Graphics 1 (4 Icons) (24 Jun 2020) A")
-(24-jun-2020)-b.jpg?sfvrsn=414374f2_2 "Astar Graphics 1 (4 Icons) (24 Jun 2020) B")
-(24-jun-2020)-c.jpg?sfvrsn=d04650d9_2 "Astar Graphics 1 (4 Icons) (24 Jun 2020) C")
-(24-jun-2020)-d.jpg?sfvrsn=6b44a2f_2 "Astar Graphics 1 (4 Icons) (24 Jun 2020) D")
Invest
in areas that give Singapore
Grow
Singapore's branding for high quality and safe consumer products
Create
"Sticky ecosystem" to anchor world's leading food and consumer companies in Singapore
Support
"30 by 30 Nutritional Goals" The Singapore Food Story
Shaping Food Innovation
We address global trends affecting national prioritiesIn 2019, Singapore clinched top spot on the Global Food Security Index in terms of food availability, affordability, quality and safety, and food safety-net programmes. However, Singapore’s resilience is challenged in the face of global climate crisis, increasing world population, depletion of natural resources, and other cultural, environmental and geographical factors. As a land-constrained nation that is highly reliant on food imports, it is imperative that Singapore embarks on food innovation research to future-proof our food supply and meet the nutritional requirements of the Asian consumer. The intersections of agriculture, aquaculture, nutrition and wellness, biotechnology, digitalisation, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming the trillion dollar global food industry.
The Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) was launched in 2020 by bringing existing A*STAR divisions together as a single touchpoint for collaborators to tap on research capabilities and knowledge to sustainably develop innovative food solutions. Turning challenges into new opportunities by leveraging technology and knowledge advancements, Singapore will move one-step closer towards achieving food security and attain a competitive advantage by tackling regulatory and industry challenges.
Shaping Consumer Care
We advance safety and sustainability while drawing clinical insightsConsumers no longer care just about what they are buying. They also want to know where the product comes from, whether it is scientifically proven to be safe and effective, and how it was manufactured. In the highly competitive consumer care market, companies have to constantly innovate to meet the evolving demands of consumers.
Our scientists support the development of new technologies and products at every step of the consumer care R&D value chain by:
- Generating non-obvious consumer insights through advanced data mining, machine learning and image and voice analysis technologies
- Gaining fundamental and clinical insights into skin and hair
- Discovering novel actives and evaluating their safety and efficacy using animal-free biological and clinical tools
- Developing novel delivery and formulation technologies, and investigating their interactions with skin and hair
- Developing sustainable packaging and supporting the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies to make the manufacture of products more efficient and competitive
In the News
Consumer
- Time does not heal all wounds: Bedsores killed 'Superman', don’t let them fester
- Singapore And South Korea To Tackle Skin Disorders And Cancer
- Capturing economic value, discovering treatments in skin research in Singapore
- A*STAR prototypes 3D printer for wounds
A*STAR celebrates International Women's Day
From groundbreaking discoveries to cutting-edge research, our researchers are empowering the next generation of female science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) leaders.
Get inspired by our #WomeninSTEM