The Knowledge to Decide

With rapid urbanization and a rising global population – expected to hit 8.5 billion by 2030 – it is crucial to find innovative agricultural methods to sustain food supply. Touted as the future of food and agriculture, can indoor farming change the way we produce food? What is indoor agriculture? The art and science of sprouting crops in a controlled and sustainable environment with artificial lights and technology is known as indoor agriculture. With indoor agriculture, seasonal crops can be produced throughout the year using light-emitting diode (LED) lighting to trigger photosynthesis. Water fortified with minerals is used to substitute the functionality of soil. Indoor farming can increase crop yields by 50 per cent. Indoor farming can increase crop yields by 50 per cent, provided that growing conditions are optimal. Further advances in LED technology also assist to create an environment where vegetables can be grown – regardless of climate – to produce maximum yields

The tongue is capable of discerning the taste of carbohydrates. Diet foods – containing artificial sweeteners but few carbs – are thus unsatisfying to many consumers. How can food manufacturers cash in on the ‘carbohydrate taste’? Tasting carbs Simple and complex carbohydrates, including sugars, are the body’s main source of energy. People tend to treat carbs as more of a necessity and “filler food” than a tasty treat. But a study conducted in 2014 suggests that the tongue senses the taste of carbohydrates in addition to the five conventional tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savoury). According to the study, when an individual consumes carbohydrates directly, there is a 30% increase in activity in the brain areas controlling movement and vision. Carbohydrates influence areas of the brain which are not affected by artificial sweeteners. The brain’s pleasure centers only light up when the tongue senses real carbohydrates instead of artificial sweeteners. Good news

Spire Singapore hosted its first Client Entertainment Night of the year. Our business associates and partners joined us for a dinner reception followed by the movie screening of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” – Disney’s fifth instalment in the Pirates franchise. The event was held at Cathay Add to dictionary Orchard. It was an opportunity for everyone to let their hair down and take a break from the office. In the movie, Johnny Depp returned to the big screen as the iconic anti-hero Jack Sparrow. Captain Jack is down on his luck when deadly ghost sailors escape – led by the terrifying Captain Salazar – determined to kill every pirate at sea. His only hope lies in the Trident of Poseidon. The highly anticipated adventure flick, the good food and even better company made for a great evening enjoyed by all. https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/events/spire-client-entertainment-night-may-2017-2/

As one of the top five staple foods in the world, bananas might soon become extinct due to an advancing fungal disease known as the Sigatoka complex. Agronomists fear that this disease could wipe out the world’s banana supply in the next 5-10 years. The Sigatoka complex consists of three fungal diseases – black Sigatoka, yellow Sigatoka and eumusae leaf spot. They are lethal as they cripple the immune system and match the metabolism of the host plant. This means that the fungi can replicate enzymes to penetrate the plant’s cell walls, which enable it to feed on other carbohydrates and sugars. The disease is forcing farmers need to step up and make 50 fungicide applications (annually) to their banana crops. Up to 35% of banana production expenditure is for fungicide applications. However, many farmers cannot afford this and end up either growing inferior quality bananas and switching to other crops. How will the possible extinction of bananas impact global food supply?

What does the infamous (2008) case of fake Chinese milk powder and Malaysia’s fake Milo case in 2016 have in common? These are all noteworthy cases of food fraud that show the level of dilution, counterfeiting and mislabelling of food products that has plagued Asia’s food industry, at an estimated annual cost of USD40 billion in damages. What tools can be used to tackle this issue? Safe and Secure Approaches in Field Environments (SSAFE) – a non-profit organization – in collaboration with Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), VU University Amsterdam, and Wageningen University along with global food industry leaders have launched a free assessment tool. The tool helps to identify loopholes and formulates custom-made solutions. Other ways of prevention can be through using anti-counterfeit technology like holograms and systematic notification to both private and public companies of blacklisted suppliers. Will Asia succeed in reigning in fraudulent food? https://www.spirerese

Healthy eating has emerged as something of a luxury in emerging markets. In contrast, the cost of junk food continues to decrease; encouraging consumers to binge more. According to a recent study, the cost of fruits and vegetables rose by 91% in the last two decades. The cost of processed foods instead fell by a fifth in emerging markets such as Brazil, China, South Korea and Mexico from 1990 to 2012. Lower prices encourage consumers to adopt unhealthy eating habits. Hence, obesity has become the new face of poverty. Conditions such as blood sugar spikes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure as well as bloating are some of the health conditions that result from an unhealthy diet. Is the solution increased subsidies for fresh fruit and vegetables financed by a tax on junk food? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/healthy-eating-getting-more-expensive-junk-food-getting-cheaper/

How would you like to eat delicious fried food which contains less oil, calories and cholesterol? Oil-free air fryers offer this prospect – and are taking the cook-ware market by storm. For instance, Royal Philips – a consumer electronics company –launched the Philips Air fryer in 2012. It is an innovative kitchen appliance that enables consumers to prepare a variety of meals in a healthier way. It is now available in more than 100 countries. Moreover, it accounts for almost 50% of the global market for ‘light’ fryers – which confirms it as the number one low-fat fryer brand. The latest innovation in this field is the eco-stove. The stove operates on an internal air system that heats up the rocks to provide heat for cooking. It works by rapid circulation of hot air around the food – cooking it in a similar fashion to oil. At the same time, the solar panels charge up and provide more heat for the stove. Many companies are now venturing into this product category. For

Obesity is a growing threat to quality of life, healthcare systems and economies across Asia. Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his thoughts on the implications of rising obesity levels in Asia in China Daily – Asia Weekly. According to a study by Cornell University in 2012, the U.S. spent USD190 billion a year on obesity-related healthcare. An epidemic long thought to affect only the western world has gradually crept onto Asian shores. Traditional food products are now being replaced by processed  foods and fast foods  in many parts of Asia. Perera commented that obesity is strongly linked to ailments such as Type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions. Obesity has also been linked to a rise in absenteeism and medical insurance costs. Though the impact of obesity on Asia’s healthcare expenditures is currently lower than it is in the U.S., it is on the rise. Urbanization has driven the consumption of sugary and fatty foods and

Food – once harvested, picked and packed for delivery – undergoes many processes before reaching our dinner tables. As such, some  food  products become inedible even before reaching the consumers. A possible  food  crisis was one of the major concerns raised at the World Economic Forum, as access to nutrition has become either unreliable or inadequate. One solution lies in reducing  food  waste through better managing how  food  travels. The world produces 4 billion metric tons of  food , but an estimated 1.2 to 2 billion tons is thrown out. It is equally crucial to alter the transport infrastructure and storage facilities to effectively reduce wastage. Expect  food  logistics to be a key transforming and transformative industry in emerging markets in the 21st century. Can the  food  chain be optimized to cut  food  wastage? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/cutting-food-waste-high-on-the-global-agenda/