RP lecturer honoured with EcoFriend Award for sustainable food innovation

Dr Heng Kiang Soon, a food scientist and lecturer at RP School of Applied Science, has been presented with the EcoFriend Award for his work in transforming okara, a soya by-product, into useful food and agricultural products. The recognition and Dr Heng's research were recently featured in The Straits Times.

Okara is the fibrous pulp left over from producing soya milk and tofu. Although rich in protein and fibre, it is indigestible to humans and is commonly discarded. Dr Heng developed a technology to make okara soluble, enabling it to be processed into 14 food and agricultural products, including soya cheese, soya cream soup, and plant biostimulants that improve crop yield and quality. Several of these products have since been licensed for commercialisation.

Beyond environmental benefits, Dr Heng noted that producing items such as plant boosters and soya cheese from okara, instead of commercial raw materials, could offer businesses substantial cost savings while strengthening food system resilience and creating new business opportunities.

Dr Heng, who grew up on a farm in Malaysia, said his approach is guided by the belief that waste should be viewed as a resource with untapped potential rather than something to be discarded. He is now looking into recycling other forms of food waste, such as spent coffee grounds and fruit pulp.

The EcoFriend Award, organised by the National Environment Agency, recognises individuals from the private and public sectors, educational institutions, grassroots groups and non-governmental organisations for significant contributions to sustainability in Singapore. Dr Heng was among 14 recipients honoured at the 17th edition of the biennial awards, held on 18 August at the National Gallery Singapore.