SG Food Makers, in partnership with LASALLE College of the Arts, has released a video trilogy unveiling an up-close and personal look at the people, innovation and passion driving Singapore’s food manufacturing (FM) sector.
Filmed and produced by 12 broadcast and media students from LASALLE College of the Arts, the series takes viewers through the perspectives of three ambitious and passionate individuals who have carved successful careers in food manufacturing.
- Dr Christine Lee, Senior Research & Development Manager, Shiro Corporation;
- Dylan Hu, Director, Poli Medical Company Pte Ltd and Poly Natural Health Process Pte Ltd; and
- John Cheng, Director, Cheng Yew Heng Candy Factory.
Providing an insider’s take on what being part of the FM sector entails, each video revolves around a central theme:
- People: “The Team that Creates“ focuses on the people behind the success of Shiro Corporation. From the Chefs to the Research & Development managers and interns, the people at Shiro Corporation take pride in every step of their work.
- Innovation: “Looking Back to Look Forward” explores Poli Medical Company’s journey towards automation and modernisation while preserving the company’s heritage and traditional values.
- Passion: “Tradition with a Sweet Twist” tells the story of how Cheng Yew Heng Candy Factory, Singapore’s oldest rock sugar manufacturer, gives traditional rock sugar a fresh spin with an innovative outlook that meets the tastes of today’s modern consumers.
Three student teams, who were each paired with a food manufacturing company, conceptualised the videos. From coming up with the storylines to post-production, the students lend a fresh creative perspective to the stories told in the videos. Filming onsite at the various production facilities, they had the rare opportunity to meet and interact closely with the individuals behind the scenes of food manufacturing in Singapore, while observing firsthand the sector’s dynamism, progressiveness and innovation.
“This experience has refreshed my perspective of Singapore’s Food Manufacturing sector. I was surprised to see the amount of creativity and cutting-edge machinery involved, from the production processes to the company’s growth strategies – even for a traditional family business founded decades ago,” said Paul Prado, one of the students who participated in the initiative. “It was especially inspiring to observe the dedication and passion that goes into producing the quality food products we see every day, be it on our supermarket shelves or at local kopitiams,” he said.
A nationwide survey conducted last year found that people in Singapore perceive the FM sector as a labour-intensive, low-tech and low-value sunset industry, with only 16% indicating they would consider a career in food manufacturing. Aimed at enhancing Singaporeans’ perception of the sector, SG Food Makers is an initiative developed to encourage more Singaporeans who have a passion for food to consider being part of this promising industry.
With this series, SG Food Makers invites Singaporeans to take a closer look at the stories behind the people, innovation and passion driving Singapore’s food manufacturing industry with a first-of-its-kind video series launched on SG Food Makers’ YouTube Channel.
