KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — As the world grapples with various uncertainties, food security has increasingly become a key concern.
Today, the issue is no longer merely about ensuring an adequate food supply, but also about a country’s ability to build a robust and resilient food system that can guarantee a consistent supply of quality food.
For Malaysia, strengthening food security requires a more comprehensive approach that goes beyond increasing agricultural and livestock production. It also involves transforming local produce into high-value food products through research and development (R&D), technological innovation and commercial-scale manufacturing capabilities.
One local company demonstrating such potential is Pure Mylk, a plant-based beverage contract manufacturer based in Pulau Indah, Selangor.
A contract manufacturer produces goods on behalf of other companies or brands.
Pure Mylk operates as Malaysia’s first contract manufacturer specialising in plant-based beverages, producing hundreds of product variations for various private-label brands in the domestic and regional markets.
Technology adds value to local products
Pure Mylk chief executive officer Marcus Khoo said the company was a pioneer in plant-based beverage manufacturing in Malaysia, leveraging biotechnology and food science.
He said that, unlike conventional beverage manufacturers, Pure Mylk offered end-to-end solutions encompassing research and development, product formulation, packaging and commercial production.
“Pure Mylk helps transform agricultural ingredients into food and beverage products that are safe, nutritious, commercially scalable and market-ready. Its services also cover research and development, product formulation, pilot testing, aseptic processing, packaging and large-scale production.
“The company produces a wide range of plant-based beverages, including oat, rice, almond, coconut, pistachio and walnut milk. Our strength lies not merely in producing the final product, but also in the technology we use to ensure consistent quality, safety and compliance with commercial manufacturing and market requirements,” he told Bernama.
Marcus said the key technologies employed by the company included enzymatic processing and the VTIS Direct Steam Injection ultra-high-temperature (UHT) aseptic system.
He said that compared with conventional systems, the technology was more effective in preserving the taste, colour, texture and nutritional value of products, while ensuring high food safety standards and a longer shelf life.
“The technology also enables products to be distributed over wider areas, reduces dependence on cold-chain logistics, minimises the risk of food spoilage and improves access to nutritious food.
“In the context of food security, this capability is particularly important because nutritious products can only deliver their full benefits when they are distributed efficiently and reach consumers safely, with their quality preserved,” he said.
Elaborating further, Marcus said Pure Mylk also offered contract manufacturing, private-label development, product development, and research and innovation support to local companies, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), seeking to enter Malaysia’s plant-based beverage industry.
He said these services enabled companies to develop and commercialise their products more effectively through technical guidance and Pure Mylk’s technological expertise.
“Pure Mylk is committed to strengthening local innovation and manufacturing capabilities, which have traditionally relied heavily on imported resources, thereby reducing dependence on overseas supply chains.
“We see this effort as contributing not only to national food security but also to creating a collaborative platform that brings together local brands, start-ups and global technology partners to accelerate innovation and shape the future of Malaysia’s plant-based beverage industry,” he added.
Strengthening the national bioeconomy
Marcus said Pure Mylk also contributed to strengthening the country’s bioeconomy ecosystem by enhancing local manufacturing capabilities and improving readiness for halal exports.
He said the initiative aligned with the company’s objective of transforming agricultural raw materials into beverages with commercial potential in both domestic and international markets.
He added that countries seeking to establish control over their food systems could not rely solely on crop production, but also needed to master processing technologies, nutritional science and large-scale manufacturing infrastructure.
“Local food technology innovation now plays an important role in strengthening the national bioeconomy, while reducing dependence on imported finished products, foreign technologies and overseas expertise.
“By developing stronger local processing capabilities, Malaysia has the potential to move beyond being merely a supplier of raw materials to becoming a producer of high-value food products driven by innovation and technology,” he said.
As a BioNexus-status company under the Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation (Bioeconomy Corporation), Pure Mylk also supports the regional agenda for sustainability, food security and the development of high-tech manufacturing industries across ASEAN, he said.
“For Pure Mylk, recognition as a BioNexus company reinforces its position as an innovation-driven food technology company and strengthens the confidence of investors, industry players, universities, government agencies and international partners in the company.
“Internationally, Pure Mylk is also involved in various industry-related projects and collaborations with industry partners from the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Japan, reflecting growing confidence in Malaysia’s food and beverage technology capabilities on the global stage,” he added.
Apart from its BioNexus recognition, another achievement by Pure Mylk is the development of a high-tech beverage manufacturing platform in Malaysia that meets international food safety and quality standards, including Halal certification, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP).
Ensuring food security
Marcus said food security should not be viewed solely in terms of food production, but must encompass the entire food supply chain.
He said the issue extended beyond ensuring sufficient food supplies to include how nutrients were processed, preserved, distributed, stored and made accessible to the public at affordable prices through large-scale production.
By mastering food processing technologies and strengthening local manufacturing capabilities, Malaysia could build a more resilient food system, reduce dependence on external supply chains and become better prepared for future food crises, he said.
Through the application of food science and processing technologies, agricultural materials that have been underutilised could also be upgraded to produce high-quality, value-added food products.
“For example, broken brown rice, often regarded as a low-value by-product of the agricultural supply chain, can be processed using enzymatic technology, milling and aseptic UHT systems to produce nutritious brown rice beverages with a smoother texture and longer shelf life.
“This approach not only optimises the use of agricultural resources but also helps reduce food waste and provides consumers with more accessible nutritional options,” he said.
Marcus said the company believed the future of Malaysia’s food industry depended on its ability to integrate science, biotechnology, manufacturing capabilities and food product commercialisation strategies into a comprehensive and integrated ecosystem.
In this regard, Pure Mylk aims to help position Malaysia as a regional hub for advanced food technology, large-scale nutritional innovation, and the development and manufacture of high-value beverages.
“Pure Mylk believes that the ‘Made in Malaysia’ label should represent more than products manufactured in the country. It should also reflect trusted quality, high food safety standards, halal excellence, science-based innovation and the ability of local products to compete internationally,” he said.
Bioeconomy Corporation extends support
Meanwhile, Bioeconomy Corporation chief executive officer Mohd Khairul Fidzal Abdul Razak said the corporation would continue strengthening its role in supporting local companies to drive innovation and enhance the country’s food supply chain.
He said supporting local bio-based companies was crucial to ensuring that innovations in the food sector could be developed, commercialised and expanded into global markets more effectively.
“Local innovation plays an important role in enhancing the capabilities of the food industry, thereby strengthening national food security.
“Our support for this company demonstrates that bio-based technologies have the potential to produce high-value-added products while developing more sustainable and resilient supply chains,” he said.
He said Bioeconomy Corporation also focused on developing an ecosystem that connected local companies with mentoring opportunities, industry networks, market exposure and more structured pathways to commercialisation.
The initiative was in line with the aspirations of the National Biotechnology Policy 2.0 under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), particularly in driving bio-innovation, strengthening sustainability and safeguarding national food security, he said.
“Amid an increasingly challenging food security landscape, food production capabilities alone are no longer sufficient.
“They must be supported by advanced processing technologies, research and development (R&D), manufacturing capabilities, and more efficient and sustainable distribution systems,” he said. — Bernama