Western Australian agri-tech businesses are welcoming news of the Green Economy Agreement (GEA) between Australia and Singapore, as the commencement of local plant protein production and processing trials is imminent.
In October, the Australian Government announced the signing of a landmark bilateral agreement between Australia and Singapore to encourage Australian businesses to seize economic opportunities presented by the transition to green economy, including agriculture and alternative proteins.
In a joint statement with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Minister for Trade and Tourism Senator Don Farrell said the GEA is a first-of-its-kind and will become a new pillar of Australia’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Singapore, signalling the resolve of both nations to confront the challenges and seize the opportunities faced in the transition to net zero.
Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia (FIPWA) general manager Dr Chris Vas celebrated the GEA as it coincided with the creation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a ‘plant protein production trial’ that involves business and government from both WA and Singapore.
In May, Future Food Systems CRC stakeholders met at the now completed FIPWA, to sign lease agreements for core facilities within the precinct. Future Food Systems CRC chair Fiona Simson said the precinct could play a central role in growing the value of Western Australia’s food industry.
Vas noted that local WA participants will include Whole, Shire of Murray and Peel Development Commission collaborating with Singapore-based Life3 Biotech to explore the feasibility of processing legumes in WA to provide a high protein legume concentrate, which could be used to produce a range of plant-based protein ingredients and products for global food manufacturers.
“The findings and results of this trial will demonstrate capacity across the value chain of activity to meet market need, which will open up opportunities to supply legume protein concentrate at scale, considering broader viability and commercial factors,” Vas said.
Whole CEO and co-founder, Nick Stamatiou, said the trial will be undertaken using Whole’s own processing technology referred to as the Whole Ingredient Nutrient Extraction (WINX) process.
The WINX process has been developed for the purpose of achieving controlled high-pressure lysis of various plant-based inputs as a means of creating highly functional plant-based ingredients and flavours,” said Stamatiou.
“We will begin the trial by processing batches of high protein legumes including faba beans and lupins.
“The trials will enable us to test the suitability of the Whole WINX™ cell bursting technology to produce a high protein fluid concentrate to meet market requirements and ingredient specifications, including protein content and concentrations, functional attributes and additional processing requirements, such as assessing suitable drying technologies and processes,” said Stamatiou.
Whole’s WINX technology received recognition when they were named a finalist in the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation WA Innovator of the Year Emerging Innovator award last year.
Life3 Biotech CEO Ricky Lin said Life3 has developed various processing technologies that are energy efficient as well as low raw material wastage.
“We will use the legume concentrate provided to test its suitability in the respective application processes to produce functional plant-based products that are beneficial to human health,” Lin said.
“This partnership aims to propel innovative plant-based adoption for the consumers and to lower carbon footprint collectively through sustainable food production in Asia.”
Shire of Murray CEO, Dean Unsworth, noted the MoU and associated trial to be an important starting point in the further development of this sector for WA, Australia and the wider ASEAN region and is hopeful that this work will lead to informing the next stages of FIPWA’s advancement.
“The plant protein segment has been recognised by the State Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development as a key emerging business opportunity, and at FIPWA, with our collaborators we are proudly leading this trial,” Unsworth said.
