When Mr Ong Bee Chip first tried the initial sample of a plant-based version of luncheon meat created by his company, he felt like he was biting into a traditional steamed cake rather than “meat”.

“The texture was like gao teng kueh,” says the 60-year-old managing director of home-grown food manufacturing group OTS Holdings with a laugh, referring to the colourful, steamed nine-layer cake.

The result of the 2021 recipe, based on a wheat and soy protein base, was far from what he had hoped.

“It was very chewy and sticky, not what we were looking for at all,” says Mr Ong. “It’s very difficult to get the taste and texture of plant-based meat right and make it similar to animal meat. We had to start from scratch many times.” 

Despite the use of spices, the first few iterations of the plant-based luncheon meat also had such a strong taste of soy protein that the research and development (R&D) team had to source for another supplier. 

It took the company about $500,000 and nearly two years of R&D before it launched Anew in June last year. Its range of plant-based luncheon meats is available in three flavours – classic, barbeque and black pepper. OTS has also introduced plant-based meat sauces in rendang, butter chicken and bolognese flavours under the brand. 

While the company has innovated over the years, having introduced various products to cater to varying tastes and different markets, it took advantage of Enterprise Singapore’s (EnterpriseSG) Scale-Up programme to bolster its move into plant-based meats. 

The 12- to 18-month programme helps high-potential local firms to speed up their growth and expand globally. The participants not only work with local and international consultancies to co-create and fine-tune growth strategies, but they also get to network with other local business leaders. OTS joined the 2021 run. 

While the company had already started working on the plant-based luncheon meats in 2020, it refined their taste and texture during the programme. It took dozens of formulations and numerous taste tests with consumers to arrive at the final products, which ended up requiring ingredients from 12 suppliers across seven countries. 

During the Scale-Up programme, OTS also improved its R&D strategy by partnering with consulting firm McKinsey & Company to come up with a scoring model that would enable it to decide which areas to prioritise. 

Mr Ong says: “Through the Scale-Up programme, we also developed marketing, branding and go-to-market strategies for our key target markets, such as Japan and the Philippines. The latter, in particular, is very attractive for us because of its large population and high import volume.”

Last August, OTS showcased its products in Manila at Singaporium 2023, a pop-up organised by SM Supermalls and EnterpriseSG to help increase consumer awareness about food and lifestyle brands from Singapore. 

A taste of the future

OTS’ venture into plant-based meat is a notable shift. Mr Ong's late father Ong Tuan Seng founded Golden Bridge Foods Manufacturing in 1993. In 2014, OTS Holdings was formed as a parent company comprising household food brands Golden Bridge, Kelly’s and Golden Lion, all of which focus on meat products that also include Chinese sausages and ham. It also carries halal-certified brand El-Dina under its subsidiary Ellaziq. 

In the 2022 fiscal year, it earned $34.1 million in revenue from Golden Bridge and its other brands, which supply over 1,100 food products in more than 25 countries, including India, Indonesia, Australia and parts of the European Union. Mr Ong shares that its diversification into meat-free products is crucial for its continued growth, with the potential for plant-based meat products to make up 5 to 10 per cent of its revenue within the next five years. 

“The market is increasingly demanding plant-based food products, and such foods face fewer export regulations and barriers,” explains Mr Ong. “Although plant-based meat isn’t accepted by the whole world yet, we cannot wait for that. The development process takes time and we would then have been too late.”

This is why the company is pushing the envelope in the burgeoning plant-based market to get ahead in the game. 

All of its six products are currently on sale in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, and the firm plans to roll them out regionally and further abroad. It is also conducting more research to find out more about consumers’ tastes and preferences in different countries so that it can determine which plant-based meat product to develop next. 

Earlier this year in March, Anew’s plant-based luncheon meat products were awarded the Vegan Trademark by UK-based organisation The Vegan Society. This will not only help the brand establish credibility among the growing vegan consumer base but also gain traction in markets that prioritise certified offerings. 

Moving forward, sustainability will continue to be a critical part of the company’s growth. “We already have clients in Europe, Australia and the United Arab Emirates who are interested in carrying our Anew products. Of course, we will have to address some challenges, such as the need for more consumer education when it comes to plant-based meat products,” says Mr Ong. 

Building a sustainable business

OTS’ expansion into plant-based meat products supports its wider sustainability ambitions, shares Mr Ong, who, with his sister Ong Chew Yong, 63, is driving the firm’s next lap of growth. It began to consider its environmental obligations, and how it can do better, when it was preparing for its initial public offering in 2021. It debuted on the Singapore Exchange Catalist board that year. 

With an eye on the future, it has tapped EnterpriseSG’s Enterprise Development Grant to develop a sustainability strategy that can better measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint. Slated to take three years in phases, this project includes sustainability risk assessment and planning for the short-, medium- and long-term. 

“Every company – and its boss – has to take some responsibility for sustainability. Plus, going green can help firms save resources and money,” says Mr Ong. 

Going into the plant-based space is a key part of OTS’ sustainability strategy – by producing meatless products, it aims to reduce its carbon footprint and encourage consumers to reduce meat consumption.

Measures like installing light sensors and switching to energy-efficient LED lighting have already reduced its manufacturing facility’s energy usage by about 8 per cent from the 2021 to 2022 fiscal years. 

It also reduced its water use by about 6 per cent over the same period by reusing hot water from its retort machines – which sterilise food sealed in containers – in the boilers that generate steam for its production lines. 

Grease and other pollutants from water used for washing and cleaning  are also filtered out before it gets released into the sewer system, minimising the fee it needs to pay PUB for discharging industrial wastewater into the public sewers.

Mr Ong adds that firms can find many ways to become more eco-friendly. To curb the impact of packaging materials on the environment, OTS uses carton boxes made from materials from verified sustainable sources and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit group.

“We are also changing from tin cans to aluminium ones because recycling aluminium requires less energy,” he says. 

With these and other measures, OTS has steadily lowered its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions. From the 2021 to 2022 fiscal years, it shrunk these by 11 per cent and 7 per cent respectively. In April, it went even further by installing solar panels on its factory rooftop that now supply up to 8 per cent of its electricity needs. It is thinking of adding more panels that would increase that to 15 per cent. 

“Even something small, like encouraging staff to switch off lights, fans and air-conditioners when not needed, can make a difference,” Mr Ong notes.

While it took time, OTS made such green habits part of its company culture by putting up posters and reminding employees of them during townhall and training sessions.

“You don’t have to do everything overnight. Just look at what you can do, and add to it over time.”

The shift to plant-based offerings has not only been a corporate strategy for OTS; it is also personally impacting Mr Ong.

“Since we began developing Anew, I’ve been eating more vegetables,” he admits. The broader shift is evident even in supermarket aisles, where plant-based meats are gaining more shelf space.

“Adapting to keep up with changing tastes is a necessity.”

This is part of a series on how home-grown companies are making an impact on global markets, showcasing how they scale up with sustainability, technology and innovation as core aspects of their business, with the support of Enterprise Singapore. Find out more here.

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