Food Tech Innovations for Circular Economy and Sustainable Food Security

The webinar was jointly organised by IAS and the Graduate Students' Clubs of SPMS, SBSE and SCSE. Singapore imports over 90% of its food supply which leaves it vulnerable to trade and supply chain disruptions that can cause food prices to increase. The COVID-19 pandemic acutely reflects Singapore’s vulnerability in food security with severe disruption in global supply chain. Technology innovations are needed to overcome these limitations and enhance food security in Singapore.

Prof Chen's talk was a very exciting experience for all the attendees as the topics he covered in the webinar was very relevant and thought provoking. He discussed about natural preservatives that is highly sustainable and can be very effective in reducing food wastage.  He also explained about food circular economy which can be understood as from-food-for-food concept using his innovative biodegradable packaging materials. These biodegradable materials not only reduce food wastage but is also a solution for long term plastic waste reduction problem. 

The research being interdisciplinary, was highly attended by students from SPMS, SBS and SCBE. The question and answer section at the end was very interactive as attendees came up with many exciting questions that were answered by Prof Chen. All the attendees had a great learning experience and got a lot of exposure about this interdisciplinary field which is food science and technology.

Ruchi Choudhary | SBS Graduate Students' Club