This development has been a long time coming for the firm, having awaited regulatory approval for nearly four years.
After the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced the approval of 16 species of insects for consumption in July 2024, Altimate Nutrition kickstarted its production in Thailand, although it took three months before the first batch of products arrived in Singapore.
“We had to liaise not only with SFA, but also Thai authorities to export the products to Singapore. As the regulation is new, there were several checks to be done on the cricket farm and processing facility, causing the delay. But we are now officially available in Singapore,” Hiew Yuen Sheng, co-founder and chief operating officer of Altimate Nutrition, told NutraIngredients-Asia.
Its debut product is a protein bar that comes in chocolate banana and strawberry flavours. The bars are being sold at a specialty retail shop called Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat.
“The reason why we rolled out protein bars first is because Singaporeans generally are very visual consumers. This is seen through our workshops. About 70% to 80% of participants were resistant to eating insects before the workshop. Most would choose to try the protein bar first, followed by whole crickets and silkworms. After tasting the protein bar, we saw a big jump in the number of people who were willing to try crickets.
“Right now, our focus is on DTC channels and working with partners to distribute our products, as well as education still. There is importance in that and there is demand. Ever since the approval, schools have been reaching out for workshops, products, and different kinds of educational programmes.”
Hiew shared that the protein bars have also launched at e-commerce platform Crazybadman, while SnackFirst, an online retailer with a flagship store at One Holland Village, has confirmed their interest.
During the recent Valentine’s Day, Altimate Nutrition collaborated with local cafe Aphrodite to create a new ice cream flavour and waffle using the protein bars. These were made available at the shop for one month.
“The cafe repurposed our bars to showcase something different, which is exactly what we are seeking for. We hope that more businesses would take this up — repurpose our bars or even cricket protein powder into different bakes and products.
“We are definitely looking out for more opportunities, such as events or shops that can offer us some space. Our goal really is for consumers to try us. Honestly, it’s about taking the first step.”
Marketing moves
The firm has observed that its customer base at Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat mainly comprises office workers in the area and foreigners who visit the shop to buy souvenirs.
“Previously, we entered Thai supermarkets and did various marketing activities in the country. We have since changed our packaging because we heard from our Thai partners that the locals like products from overseas. Now, there is a ‘A Singapore Brand’ logo on the back of the packaging.
“At the moment, our protein bars are sold in Singapore and Hua Hin, and we want to focus on the markets that are available and ready.”
According to Hiew, the company has engaged with an advertising agency and continued visiting schools to conduct talks, as part of its marketing strategy.
“That has been our strategy from the start — educating students who become end-consumers eventually. So, our target audience is more of the Gen Zs and younger generation. On social media, we try to make our content engaging and posting regularly on fun facts about insects, their nutritional properties, and how insect protein is sustainable.
“Science Centre Singapore is also backing us up. They are buying the products and giving them out at their events, including the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF).”
To increase exposure and product awareness, Altimate Nutrition will be participating in the FHA-Food & Beverage trade show in Singapore this April, and THAIFEX in Bangkok in May.
Orders ringing in
While there are competing brands that have gone into supermarket retail, Altimate Nutrition is not heading in the direction just yet.
“We are in talks with a few players that want to bring us into Cold Storage and FairPrice, but we are reviewing it because as a start-up, we try not to waste our resources as much as possible. We will go in when we are sure [of viability].
“Currently, we are still utilising the Startup SG Founder Grant and we will be raising a round soon. The fund will be mainly used to support our operations, which we are working to streamline, from workshops and sales to packing and delivering,” Hiew revealed.
As for product development, the focus remains on protein bars for at least this year, with plans to introduce new items from 2026 onwards.
“In terms of pricing and protein content, we are very competitive with other brands in the market. The one thing that makes us stand out is the ingredients we use. They are familiar [to consumers], and there are no weird ingredients that you can’t read or recognise.
“Each bar is priced at SGD4 (USD2.98). Furthermore, bulk purchase is available on our website, so it can go as low as SGD3.20 (USD2.39) per bar. We’ve had orders coming in, which we are very happy about, because it had been silent for the past four years.”
