THE five winning teams of the inaugural Hungry for Change Challenge showcased their solutions to food waste issues on Monday (Aug 21) at Brewerkz One Fullerton, where they also presented a tasting menu featuring meat alternatives and upcycled products.

The challenge, launched by the DBS Foundation and the National Environment Agency (NEA) in 2022, aims to empower students and recent graduates of higher learning institutes in Singapore to innovate solutions that reduce or prevent food waste. About 800,000 tonnes of food waste were generated in Singapore in 2022, with only 18 per cent of this amount recycled, DBS said.

The winning teams received funding totalling up to S$125,000 from DBS Foundation to develop their solutions, along with consultations and mentorship from DBS and NEA. After completing a six-month pilot programme, which involved upcycling food waste into new food products, the winners presented their solutions at Monday’s event, where they also had the chance to network with potential investors and partners.

They also curated a five-course tasting menu using their products with help from Brewerkz, a recipient of the DBS Foundation Grant Award.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, who was the event’s guest of honour, said: “The DBS Foundation and NEA Hungry for Change Challenge has... (provided) youths with the platform to (test) their solutions, and with guidance to ensure commercial practicality and viability.”

One of the winners is Heng Chin Wee, co-founder of Mottainai Food Tech, a Singapore-based startup that produces a plant-based meat alternative called jiro-meat. 

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It is converted from okara – soybean pulp – through an all-natural process of fermentation. Jiro-meat is a sustainable and low-waste product with a taste similar to chicken.

Another winner is Max Tham, chief executive of tHEMEat Company, which converts food discards into affordable vegan products, such as alternative proteins that replicate the taste and smell of animal meats.

The company uses vegetable feedstock to create “veme”, a vegan version of heme, which produces the distinctive taste of meat. This makes tHEMEeat Company’s products more flavourful for consumers.

Sustainability concerns

Mottainai Food Tech showcased vegetarian butter “chicken” empanadas made from jiro-meat at the event, while tHEMEat presented Tex-Mex chilli bowls with veme-infused soy protein.

DBS Foundation also launched the second edition of the Hungry for Change Challenge on Monday, with new partners including Enterprise SG, McDonald’s, Koufu and The Social Kitchen.

In addition to food waste, the second edition will focus on food-related packaging waste, as packaging is a “critical component” in the food supply chain, said DBS Foundation.

Karen Ngui, group head of strategic marketing and communications at DBS Bank and board member of DBS Foundation, said: “We hope to… catalyse the development and commercialisation of much-needed solutions that will be able to address growing sustainability concerns in the area of food and packaging waste.”

The five winners of the second edition will receive funding support of up to S$20,000 each from DBS Foundation, mentorship from DBS, project consultations with NEA, and potential collaboration opportunities with outreach partner Enterprise Singapore. Those with the most promising solutions may receive an additional S$25,000 in funding from the foundation.

Submissions are now open and will close on Oct 31, with the winners to be announced in February 2024.