F&B firms get help from Enterprise Singapore guide to go green

SINGAPORE - Food and beverage companies that want to become more sustainable in their operations have more help now to manage food and packaging waste, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

These are the three key areas highlighted in the Sustainability Playbook for Food & Beverage (F&B) Companies launched on Nov 8 by Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG).

Food waste is the most pressing issue in the industry currently.

In 2023, Singapore generated 755,000 tonnes of food waste, making up about 11 per cent of the total waste in Singapore, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).

It is estimated that close to half of this food waste can be attributed to the F&B industry.

The playbook, part of a series supported by the Enterprise Sustainability Programme, was developed in consultation with the F&B industry and solution providers. It is available

online.

It outlines a three-stage road map to guide F&B companies.

The first step is to account for waste – companies can conduct audits to measure their food waste, packaging waste, and emissions. Such audits establish a baseline for companies to identify critical issues and areas for improvement in operations, track progress over time, and evaluate the effectiveness of implemented solutions.

The second step is to prevent generating unnecessary waste. The playbook includes measures that can minimise waste generation at source, such as using technology to forecast demand and aid inventory planning.

Other measures include implementing flexible food portion sizes and redesigning menus to include versatile ingredients that can be used in multiple dishes.

The last step is to reduce unavoidable waste and emissions, as well as recover value from food waste through valorisation.

Food waste valorisation is

the conversion of food waste or by-products into higher value products

that contribute back to the food supply chain. 

This can potentially help companies create new products and revenue streams, according to EnterpriseSG. Energy-efficient equipment can also help reduce emissions, while companies can consider donating and redistributing surplus food. 

Seafood supplier Fassler Gourmet was one of the companies that started going green in 2020 by making use of discarded components like bones, heads and tails of fish.

“Bones and heads can be used to extract collagen for soup. We can also dehydrate them to become an additive,” said Mr James Kwan, group chief executive officer of Fassler Gourmet.

Mr Bean, which sells soya-based products, is another company that has found a use for its food waste.

“When we produce soya milk, there’s a by-product called okara, also known as soya pulp. While it traditionally goes to waste, we ran a project with Republic Polytechnic in 2017 and managed to make granola bars with the soya pulp,” said Mr Thomas Koh, chief operating officer and executive director of Mr Bean.

The soya pulp is also used to make soya cookies and granola bites, he said. “It’s an upcycling process where we turn food waste into food – we’re continuing to explore how else we can deal with our food waste and come up with other new projects,” said Mr Koh.

Speaking at the launch event of the playbook, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said: “Sustainability in the F&B industry is not just about having a green label – it is about being forward-thinking and finding smarter and more resource-efficient ways to operate.

“Doing so is not only good for our environment, but will also help your businesses to mitigate climate risks and thrive over the long term.”