The HPB aims to increase the proportion of such noodles sold in Singapore from the current 2 per cent to 10 per cent by 2020.
The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has set a target to make wholegrain noodles more widely available in Singapore.
The HPB aims to increase the proportion of such noodles sold in Singapore from the current 2 per cent to 10 per cent by 2020. This comes on the back of a S$20 million Healthier Ingredient Development Scheme (HIDS) announced earlier this year to support food manufacturers.
HPB aims to increase the wholegrain intake of Singaporeans by targeting noodles, as almost nine in 10 Singapore residents consume it at least once a week, according to a National Nutrition Survey in 2010.
Leong Guan Food Manufacturer is one of 10 companies that successfully applied for the HIDS, which was rolled out in July. So far, about S$5 million has been set aside for these companies to develop and market healthier oils, rice or noodles.
Leong Guan Food Manufacturer said the support will help it further increase the percentage of wholegrain in some of its existing products – it now has six types of noodles under its healthier product range – as well as to create more varieties of wholegrain noodles.
“For these operators, they require profit to sustain their business. So how do we assure them that healthier noodles will sell? We need to convince them and that takes a period of time,” said Mr Lim Hock Chai, managing director of Leong Guan Food Manufacturer.
Mr Lim said funds from the scheme will also go towards promotional materials such as a table standee for hawkers who carry their noodles.
HPB is also looking into labelling schemes from other parts of the world for more targeted messaging on the nutritional value of certain food products.
