Selected Asia-Pacific innovators will take part in Snacks Hack Week in Singapore to develop and showcase better-for-you snack concepts
SINGAPORE, October 7, 2026 — AAK, Bühler, Givaudan and Ingredion today announced the five companies selected to participate in the Healthy Snacks Challenge 2027, a collaborative innovation program designed to accelerate the development of healthier, appealing and commercially viable snack solutions for consumers across the Asia Pacific region.
The five selected companies are:
- Anomaly Bio, Singapore — develops whole-food protein–fibre ingredients through submerged fermentation. Pruv® supports human nutrition across 9+ approved markets. Anomaly’s processing innovations further enable ambient supply chains across multiple moisture levels.
- Agro Ludens, Japan — develops Comeat®, a rice- and koji-derived mycoprotein made through solid-state fermentation, offering a high-protein, low-fat, gluten-free ingredient with natural umami and meat-like texture.
- Coa & Co, Singapore — creates fermented, shelf-stable ingredient systems and protein-rich chocolate clusters using solid-state fermentation to improve protein quality, fibre content, digestibility and satiety in everyday snacks.
- Protoga, China — produces microalgae-based ingredients, including chlorella protein made through heterotrophic fermentation, delivering a plant-based complete protein option that is cholesterol-free, lactose-free, gluten-free and naturally non-GMO.
- ROA Midnight Pte Ltd, Singapore — using ingredients such as avocado, house-made brown rice milk and psyllium husk, RÓA creates indulgent, tasty products free from major allergens and is now pushing beyond ‘free from’ towards cleaner-label, higher-fibre and more nutritionally purposeful snacking.
The selected companies will participate in concept validation and technical discussions with the four program partners from October to December 2026. They will then travel to Singapore for Snacks Hack Week from January 18–22, 2027, where they will work with technical, product and innovation specialists to develop, test and refine their concepts.
The week will conclude with the Finalists Demo Day on January 22, 2027, where finalists will present their innovations and offer product tastings. Following Demo Day, three companies will be selected for the Top 3 Showcase and the opportunity to access further development support through the partners’ laboratories.
Supporting the future of better-for-you snacking
The Healthy Snacks Challenge was created in response to changing consumer expectations. Across the region, consumers are looking for snacks that offer improved nutrition, affordability and sustainability while continuing to deliver compelling taste and texture.
The challenge invited startups and SMEs across Asia Pacific to submit technically testable products, ingredients, formulations or technologies relevant to formats such as baked, extruded, puffed, coated, fried, filled, bar-type and hybrid snacks.
Relevant health and nutrition propositions included higher protein or fibre, lower sugar or salt, reduced saturated fat, improved fat profiles, cleaner labels, plant-based ingredients, functional nutrition, and the use of whole grains, pulses, nuts or seeds.
Each selected company demonstrated a clear better-for-you nutrition proposition, meaningful innovation and the technical readiness required to develop and validate its concept in a practical innovation environment.
Four partners, complementary capabilities
Throughout the program, the selected companies will have access to complementary expertise from across the snack innovation value chain:
- Bühler: Processing, extrusion, milling, mixing, roasting, drying and industrialisation
- Givaudan: Flavour, taste, aroma, masking, modulation and sensory experience
- Ingredion: Texture and healthful solutions, including starches, hydrocolloids, fibres, sweeteners and clean-label systems
- AAK: Fats, oils, coatings, fillings, plant-based fat systems and mouthfeel solutions
“The five selected companies reflect the creativity and technical potential emerging from the Asia-Pacific food innovation ecosystem. Their concepts address important consumer needs while exploring new ingredients, processes, formats and sensory experiences. We look forward to bringing the companies together in Singapore and helping them take their innovations to the next stage,” said Adrien Beauvisage, Head of Region Southeast Asia, Bühler Group.
“At Givaudan, we see taste, texture and nutrition as an integrated opportunity to create healthier snack experiences that truly resonate with consumers. Delivering on all dimensions is what will keep us ahead in addressing rapidly evolving consumer needs. Through the Healthy Snacks Challenge, we are proud to support exciting ideas and emerging solutions that place taste and wellbeing at the forefront, while continuing to deliver enjoyable savoury experiences that consumers expect,” said Laveena Vaz, APAC Savoury Business Unit Director, Givaudan.
“Healthy snacking continues to be one of the most dynamic growth areas in the food industry, driven by consumers seeking products that support their wellbeing without compromising enjoyment. Through our partnership with the Healthy Snacks Challenge, Ingredion is pleased to contribute our expertise in texture and healthful ingredient solutions, helping innovators create snacks that balance sensory appeal, nutrition, and market relevance,” said Ai Tsing Tan, Director, Customer Innovation, Texture & Healthful Solutions, Ingredion.
“The most promising snack innovations combine a clear consumer benefit with strong technical performance. By working side by side with the selected companies and our program partners, we hope to help accelerate concepts that deliver better nutrition, enjoyable eating experiences and real potential for further development,” said Nikesh Hindocha, General Manager, South & Northeast Asia, AAK.
From concept validation to hands-on prototyping
Between October and December 2026, experts from the four partner companies will work with the selected participants to validate their concepts and define the technical priorities for Snacks Hack Week.
During the hands-on program in Singapore, the teams will take part in:
- Ingredient and technology exploration
- Formulation and concept development
- Taste and sensory reviews
- Processing and prototype refinement
- Demo Day presentations and tastings
At the Finalists Demo Day, each company will present its refined concept to an invited audience of industry representatives, customers, partners and other stakeholders.
Three companies will then be selected for further development support. Follow-on activities with the partner laboratories are expected to begin in mid-February 2027 and may include additional formulation work, processing trials, sensory development, texture optimisation, fat-system development and scale-up assessment.
The challenge is designed to encourage collaboration while respecting the intellectual property of participating companies.