Dong Haiping, Tong Jia Heng, Kezia Kew, Liao Meng, Shawn Ho
Academic Advisor: Ms. Wong Kah Wei
Okara is the waste by-product of soybean, derived from the production of soya products such as soymilk and tofu. Okara wastage is a significant issue in Singapore, with almost 10,000 tonnes discarded annually. Therefore, the overall objective of the project is to identify new ways to repurpose okara to reduce its wastage. The initial method was to develop a prototype DIY mushroom growing kit utilising okara. This was done by substituting okara as a component of the growing substrate, taken from a commercial kit developed by Kin Yan Agrotech Pte. Ltd. Various technical issues were encountered in the primary testing stage, and changes made during secondary testing did not effectively solve these issues. Requiring further research, it was concluded that using okara to grow mushrooms might not be an easy, viable option of repurposing okara. The second method was using okara in baked goods. This was done by modifying online recipes of vegan okara chocolate brownies, thereafter holding a focus group session for demonstration and taste test. According to post-session surveys, tasters had generally positive comments about the brownies, and they agreed that the baking process is simple and easy-to-follow. Therefore, it was concluded that using okara for baking is a suitable, viable option of repurposing okara.
Keywords: Responsible Consumption, Okara, Soya, Repurpose