NUS FoodTech Challenge 2026
FORMULATE THE CHANGE
Meet The Preliminary Round Judges
Mr. Eric
Currently working in Kang Shi Fu as R&D Manager, Eric is leading a multidisciplinary team of 18 professionals across food regulatory affairs, food development, consumer insights, and quality assurance. He holds a degree in Food Science and Technology and a master’s degree in Safety, Health and Environment from the National University of Singapore (NUS). With over 20 years of experience in food production environments, he has developed food products and maintained/implemented HACCP systems in both SMEs and MNCs across the food industry.
R&D Manager
Kang Shi Fu
Dr. Balaji Balagurunathan
Senior Scientist
A*STAR SIngapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation
Senior Scientist with a PhD in Biotechnology and master’s in chemical engineering. Over two decades of experience in industrial biotechnology research and development. Proficient in managing interdisciplinary research projects with Industry and IHLs, extensive experience working in teams with researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds. Research focus area: Biotechnology solutions for Food Industry
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Alternative proteins (plant-based and microbial) and food ingredients
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Food and agro-industrial side stream valorization
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Integrated bioprocess development (Microbial strain, fermentation and downstream process development)
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Project Management and R&D Strategy Development
Dr. Vinayak Ghate
Lecturer
Department of Food Science & Technology, National University of Singapore
Dr. Vinayak Ghate is a Lecturer in the Department of Food Science & Technology at the National University of Singapore, where he teaches advanced courses in food engineering, processing, and colloidal science. His academic and professional work lies at the intersection of food safety, emerging processing technologies, and science education.
Dr. Ghate obtained his PhD in Food Science & Technology from NUS and has since built a strong research portfolio focused on innovative, non-thermal food preservation methods. His work on photodynamic inactivation and the use of visible light technologies has contributed to advancing chemical-free approaches to microbial control and shelf-life extension. He has published extensively in leading international journals and holds multiple patents in the area of light-based food preservation and disinfection technologies.
In addition to his academic role, Dr. Ghate is the Founder and Director of SafeLight Pte. Ltd., a technology venture developing continuous visible light disinfection systems for applications in food, healthcare, and built environments. His work bridges fundamental science with real-world implementation, reflecting a strong commitment to translational research and innovation.
Dr. Wong Shen Siung
Senior Manager, Starches and Proteins Research and Innovation
Tate & Lyle
Shen Siung is a seasoned R&D leader with over 19 years of experience across infant nutrition, ingredient innovation, scientific research, and global R&D leadership.
He began his career at Abbott, working in highly regulated infant and adult nutrition systems, where he built a strong foundation in formulation science, quality governance, and GMP-based manufacturing interfaces.
At Tate & Lyle, Shen Siung has progressed into global R&D leadership roles, building and leading cross-regional teams across Asia, Europe, and North America. His interests lie at the intersection of nutrition science, regulatory excellence, and organizational capability building—strengthening how R&D teams operate to deliver safe, high-quality, and commercially impactful solutions.
Mabelyn Tan
Mabelyn is an experienced food scientist, passionate about creating healthier food options. With over 17 years of hands-on expertise in recipe formulation, she has led successful product launches across seven markets, including dairy products, plant-based beverages, to infant formula for special medical purposes. Mabelyn has deep curiosity about the structure-function relationships of proteins with hydrocolloids, hence she pursued a master’s degree in food science from Agrocampus Ouest Rennes in France, researched on dairy proteins with the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA) and has worked for leading dairy companies in Singapore and the Netherlands. Today, she continues to create winning formulations in partnership with food companies across the world. As Associate Principal Scientist in Tate & Lyle, a leading global player in ingredient solutions for healthier food and beverages, she has a bag of tips and tricks to share on making use of Tate & Lyle’s wide array of specialty ingredients, such as sweeteners, starches, various hydrocolloids, as well as soluble fibers.
Associate Principal Scientist
Tate & Lyle
Dr. Lim Su Hui
Senior Scientist
A*STAR Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology
Dr Lim Su Hui is a colloidal scientist, in Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), with expertise in food structure design, food processing, microencapsulation and targeted delivery systems. With over 18 years of research experience, her research focuses on development of functional food ingredients, oral delivery technologies for gut and metabolic health as well as innovation in future food applications. She is particularly interested in translating scientific innovation into real-world application through multidisciplinary collaboration. She has authored over 30 scientific publications and an inventor of over 10 patents.
Ms. Chong Nyet Chin
Director, Food Safety & Compliance Management
FairPrice
(enclosed)
Mr. Ryan David
Senior Tea Industry Researcher
APAC R&D CHAGEE
A researcher and innovator with deep roots across the beverage world, now channeling cross-category expertise into the science, culture, and formulation of tea.
Ryan David is the Senior Tea Industry Researcher at CHAGEE APAC, one of Asia's fastest-growing premium freshly-brewed tea brands and Nasdaq-listed global beverage company. He leads tea industry research across the APAC region — driving product innovation, beverage formulation, sensory evaluation, and tea brewing optimization at scale.
Ryan brings a rare combination of scientific rigour, cross-category beverage expertise, and commercial sensibility. He has been featured on Singapore's Class 95 (Muttons in the Morning) as a voice on modern tea culture and R&D, and has lectured at NUS's Department of Food Science and Technology on the art and science of tea production.
An alumnus of the National University of Singapore Food Science & Technology Department, Ryan is currently pursuing an industrial part-time PhD at NUS, with clinical research focused on the postprandial effects of tea polyphenols on human glycaemic response — work that sits at the intersection of beverage science, nutrition, and metabolic health.
His credentials span the full breadth of the beverage world:
· Tea Master — International Tea Education Institute
· Diploma in Tea Blending — Australian Tea Masters
· WSET Level 3 Award in Sake — Wine & Spirit Education Trust
· WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits — Wine & Spirit Education Trust
· WSET Level 2 Award in Wines — Wine & Spirit Education Trust
· Chinese Baijiu Certificate — CBC 中国白酒认证体系
· BarSmarts Professional — Pernod Ricard
Dr. Gan Heng Hui
Founder, Principal Consultant
Kairos Integrated Food Solutions
Dr. Gan Heng Hui is a distinguished food scientist and industry veteran with over 25 years of experience in food safety, quality management, and innovation. Currently the Founder and Director of Kairos Integrated Food Solutions, she bridges the gap between scientific research and commercial application, specializing in process optimization, shelf-life extension, and the development of functional foods for the elderly.
Prior to her consultancy work, Dr. Gan spent over 15 years at Nanyang Polytechnic, where she led ISO-17025 accredited food safety teams and spearheaded industry-collaborative projects. Her extensive background includes serving as an ISO 22000 Lead Auditor and a technical advisor to the Singapore Manufacturing Federation. A recognized expert in food safety systems and product development, she has guided numerous industry-funded initiatives in alternative proteins and nutrition. Dr. Gan’s commitment to advancing food science standards—evidenced by her roles in national standards committees and her academic contributions, bringing deep technical rigor and commercial perspective to the next generation of food innovators.