WESTERN Australian agri-tech businesses have welcomed the Green Economy Agreement (GEA) between Australia and Singapore, with the start of local plant protein production and processing trials 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 amongst other sectors.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell said the GEA was the first of its kind and would be part of the 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 WA(FIPWA) general manager Chris Vas said WA participants would collaborate 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.
"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," Dr Vas said.
Whole chief executive and co-founder Nick Stamatiou said the trial would be undertaken using its processing technology referred to as the Whole Ingredient Nutrient Extraction (WINX) process.
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"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," Mr Stamatiou said.
"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."
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 chief executive officer Ricky Lin said Life3 had developed various processing technologies that were 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," Mr Lin said.
Shire of Murray CEO Dean Unsworth said the MoU and associated trial was an important starting point in the further development of this sector for WA, Australia and the wider ASEAN region and was hopeful that this work would 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," Mr Unsworth said.
