Kok Wei Beh, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand R&D Lead and Innovation Centre Head, Cargill, Amreeta Eng, Executive Director, Trade, Enterprise Singapore, John Fering, Group President, Food APAC, Cargill and Michelle Tan Mei Jun, Vice President and Head of Environmental Sustainability and Agrifood, Economic Development Board/Photo: Cargill
To serve rapidly evolving market needs and consumer preferences in Asia’s food sectors, Cargill today opened the doors to its refurbished Innovation Center in Singapore, an initiative supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG).
Attended by key customers, senior EDB and EnterpriseSG officials, and the media, the unveiling ceremony was marked by a celebratory cake cutting. This was followed by a walkthrough of the transformed facility and a unique culinary experience with tastings of the Center’s latest food innovations made with Cargill’s ingredients and solutions, such as chocolate frappés, reduced-sugar sparkling tea sodas, bake-stable brownie bars and pain au chocolate, creamy dark chocolate bon-bons, decorative donuts, and chicken nuggets served with Asian-flavored sauces.
“At Cargill, we aim to help our food manufacturing and foodservice customers develop commercially successful products for the Asian market. We do this by providing our comprehensive suite of food ingredients and solutions, and supporting them with innovation and sustainable offerings. Today’s Asian consumer is increasingly adventurous yet discerning. We see great potential for our customers to grow by addressing consumer demand for new flavors, formulations and menus, driven by trends around convenience, novelty, health, and indulgence. Our upgraded Innovation Center in Singapore will deliver faster and better outcomes for customers, by co-creating products that respond to local consumer tastes and diverse competitive landscapes across the region. Together, we are shaping the future of food, for Asia from Asia,” said John Fering, Group President, Food APAC, Cargill.
“The transformation of Cargill’s Innovation Centre will build deep capabilities across food science, culinary innovation, and consumer experience that advances the frontier of next-gen foods. This reinforces Singapore’s position as a hub for food innovation. We welcome more like-minded companies to tap on Singapore’s R&D ecosystem and our understanding of the Asian market to develop new solutions that meet the evolving consumer needs of the region,” said Michelle Tan, Vice President and Head of Environmental Sustainability and Agrifood, EDB.
“We welcome Cargill’s enhanced Innovation Center that seeks to address Asia’s evolving food preferences. Cargill’s expansion here is testament to Singapore’s strengths as a trade and innovation hub, and creates exciting opportunities for Cargill to partner with Singapore-based food accelerators, SMEs and startups to co-develop new solutions for the region’s growing and diverse needs, ” said Amreeta Eng, Executive Director, Trade, Enterprise Singapore.
Burgeoning foodservice and indulgence landscapes
The Asia Pacific foodservice market size reached a value of nearly USD 406.30 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15.7 percent between 2025 and 2034 to reach a value of around USD 1,699.55 billion by 2034[1]. Fueled by an expanding middle class who enjoy higher disposable incomes but lead busier lives, the popularity of online food shopping backed by internet penetration, and the rise of social commerce, the foodservice and HORECA (Hotel, Restaurant, Café/Catering) sectors are experiencing strong growth as dining out, takeaways, and food deliveries become increasingly part of consumers’ everyday lives.
Meanwhile, Cargill’s recent Southeast Asia Indulgence consumer study revealed that flavor and elevated sensory experiences as the key purchase drivers for consumers when it comes to indulgent food categories of bakery, chocolate confectionery, ice-cream, and café-style beverages. Almost 70 percent of consumers are willing to pay more for unique tastes and innovative flavors, while 82 percent of consumers value a ‘super-sensorial’ experience, and 79 percent of consumers are likely to pay a premium for distinctive textural experiences. At the same time, the study also found that more consumers are willing to pay for quality and sustainability, where dark chocolate is positively perceived and highly favoured.
Full suite of innovation capabilities
Cargill’s newly transformed Innovation Center in Singapore is designed to offer its global innovation expertise and deep consumer insights to help customers stay close to Asian consumer needs and keep pace with the dynamic and diverse market requirements of the region.
Housing both experiential and lab-based facilities, the Center brings together customers, world-class scientists, technologists, start-ups, and visionaries to push the boundaries of insights-driven food innovation.
Its upgraded facilities include –
- An expansive culinary suite which replicates the setting in restaurants and cafes. Conducive for foodservice customers to collaborate with the Cargill team on menu ideation, bring their product concepts to life, and taste-test them before launching them in the market.
- A modern kitchen inspired by the quick-service restaurant. Fitted with the latest commercial gear that supports culinary experimentation and rapid prototyping. Reconfigurable to mimic various quick-service workflows, enabling the testing of recipes, techniques, and equipment in an environment that mirrors real-world conditions.
- A vibrant Chocolate Academy where gourmet chefs and culinary experts apply artisanal mastery to craft tantalizing, indulgent chocolate creations for both the foodservice and HORECA sectors.
In addition to these newly revamped spaces. The Center’s core capabilities comprise –
- Specialized laboratories for the development of innovative solutions in dairy, beverages, bakery, confectionery, and convenience.
- Sensory facilities to conduct assessment of aroma, taste, texture, and mouthfeel to achieve precise formulation and desired product attributes.
- An advanced core science lab that focuses on the study of food ingredients to improve their functionality and enable progressive innovation discoveries.
The unveiling of Cargill’s transformed Innovation Center in Singapore coincides with the country’s 60th birthday celebrations, reaffirming Singapore’s importance as the company’s regional headquarters and from where Cargill will continue to drive its regional food innovation efforts.
Joining Cargill’s three other Innovation Centers in Asia, the transformed Innovation Center in Singapore reflects Cargill’s commitment to creating a more food-secure world by developing new food technologies, solutions, and products with customers and industry partners that serve to anticipate and meet future food trends across the region.
About Cargill
Cargill is committed to providing food, ingredients, agricultural solutions, and industrial products to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Sitting at the heart of the supply chain, we partner with farmers and customers to source, make, and deliver products that are vital for living.
Our approximately 160,000 employees innovate with purpose, providing customers with life’s essentials so businesses can grow, communities prosper, and consumers live well. With 160 years of experience as a family company, we look ahead while remaining true to our values. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing—today and for generations to come. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.
