Tofu wine made from wastewater launches in restaurants and online
A start-up based in Singapore has developed the ‘world’s first’ soy-based wine, using wastewater from a tofu factory located near its distillery.
The main ingredient of SinFooTech Sachi wine is soy whey, a by-product generated from the manufacture of tofu in the nearby plant.
SinFooTech’s mission is to promote circular economy and derive value from by-products created by food processing. It is the brainchild of Jian Yong, who explored soy whey as part of his PhD studies and now acts as the company’s Chief Technology Officer.
Soy whey is generated in huge amounts in tofu production and there is usually little commercial value for the by-product. The SinFooTech team aims to showcase the possibility of sustainable food practices, by making use of this soy waste.
The start-up collects the whey via wastewater, where it is then taken to its distillery and yeast and sugar are added. The liquid is then left to ferment in tanks for up to six weeks using a proprietary technology.
The resulting beverage is low calorie with a taste that the company describes as “clean, crisp, semi-sweet” with a “light, fruity finish” that is similar to sake. The wine also contains soy antioxidants and is gluten-free, vegan and 5.8% ABV.
Singapore has become a hub for footech in recent years. Last month, Singapore-based start-up Probicient launched the world’s first probiotic beer with national craft brewery Brewerkz.
Meanwhile Eat Just has broken ground on a record-breaking alt-protein production facility in the country.
Moving forward, SinFooTech says it has plans to further develop the Sachi brand and produce variants of the wine. A non-alcoholic beverage and fruit flavoured wine are in development, SinFooTech says.
Additionally, in keeping with its overall mission to expand the circular economy, the company says it’s continually looking to create other foodstuff from waste streams.
Sachi is currently available in a selection of restaurants in Singapore and Hong Kong, and online.
