American Food Players Bite Into Singapore's Favourite Foods
SINGAPORE, August 14 / Bernama-Asianet/--
Top US retailers, suppliers and distributors, food services companies and food media were in Singapore recently
as part of the annual business programme "Tasty Singapore Culinary Mission" (16-20 June 2008). They include
Safeway, HEB, Westpoint, Food Services of America and Compass Group as well as Sigma Alimentos from
Mexico and Sodexo Canada.
Organised by International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, the government agency promoting overseas growth of
Singapore-based enterprises and international trade, this unique programme provides a platform for leading food
& beverage (F&B) players from Americas to get an in-depth understanding of the diversity of Singapore's culinary
landscape, the capability of its F&B industry and to provide a platform to build a strong business network and
alliance between both countries.
With this year's theme of 'Asian Flavours, International Quality', participants visited various restaurants and food
centers (hawkers) sampling a wide variety of Singapore cuisine and tried out Singapore-manufactured F&B
products through cooking demonstrations, hands-on sessions and even through a cooking competition!
Said Robin Rhee from Korean Farm "It has been an amazing experience.You really don't understand what Asian
fusion is until you come to Singapore, see the people, see the culture, see how it all intertwines together,
especially at the hawker centers. I think IE and the people here did an exceptional job and I'll definitely
recommend the programme to anybody in the United States, especially those people who really have a lot of
experience in the food industry."
Agreed Jean Lee, Windsor Foods, "I've never been to a hawker center before and the fact that you have such a
big variety and people were just sitting around and enjoying the food. And you have all these people cooking
around us and the food just kept coming and we were trying all these different food."
The five-day programme included a conference and business meetings with Singapore food manufacturers,
which are already retailing in or who have plans to expand into the U.S. Some of the products that got
participants excited include Singapore's famous chilli crabs, Indian prata (a local version of the tortilla) and the
piquant laksa sauce (a rich coconut-based gravy with herbs and spices).
Said Jeff Anderson, Safeway,"The thing that seems so unique to me was the versatility of the ingredients, the
amazing depth of flavor, the balance of sweet ,salty, sour and spiciness, the freshness and the vibrancy of the
cuisine."
Said James Ching, Center Director of IE Singapore's New York office, "Situated at the cross-roads of Asia,
Singapore cuisine is best described as the best of the Chinese, Malay and Indian food culture. Found in the
cosmopolitan city-state, Singapore food is characterized by a diverse mix of cultural traditions, innovativeness in
product development and dynamism of food influences and tastes. Consumer confidence is high as many of our
manufacturers have attained the HACCP standards for their quality and safety in food processing or preparation."
Last year, the US imported US$177.8 million worth of food from Singapore, an increase of 8% from 2006. Some
examples of products available in the US include Chye Choon's Peacock brand of rice vermicelli, Yeo's Asian
beverages, Tiger Beer and Asian Home Gourmet's pre-mixes and sauces.
IE Singapore hopes that through such programmes which familiarize US food retailers and chefs with what
Singapore has on the culinary front, more of Singapore's food offerings and products will be available to American
consumers.
Jeff Anderson, Safeway continued "I think Singapore has a very unique story. I would promote the culture, the
blend in the culture, the seafood, the freshness and vibrant presentation of the food, the texture and the taste. I
would like to introduce to other chefs the ingredients of Singapore to other chefs and let them incorporate the
flavors of Singapore into their cuisines."
Certainly there does appear to be a growing American appetite for Singapore food. In a poll of 1,000 American
consumers in February 2008, more than half the respondents said they were willing to prepare a Singaporean
meal at home with pre-packed ingredients. In addition, over 60% of respondents stated they were willing to pay
an average of US$5.99 for a pre-packaged Singaporean meal.
Chris Ivens-Brown, Compass Group summed up his experience, "It's been a fantastic experience! It has been a
roller coaster experience the flavors, the people, the portion of food and the culture here is just mind blowing. The
chefs were so innovative with Singapore dishes such as the chili crab and the black pepper crab."
And in independent food and wine writer Deborah Grossman's words, "I don't want to leave the island because I
haven't eaten enough although I had about six meals a day and each meal got better and better and better! It all
started out with Ya Kun when we had the toast with coconut jam and the cold butter. And the hawker market, I
could just stay here all night and just go from stand to stand and eat and eat and eat. I love the John Bread (Roti
John) which is like French toast but only better. The best part was when Jeff (Anderson) bought the bee hoon
satay noodle which was a little spicy and very good."
About the Singapore food manufacturing industry
Some 700 food manufacturing establishments in Singapore are engaged in various aspects of food production.
More than half cater mainly to overseas markets. In 2007, total trade generated by the industry was US$11.6
billion, up from US$10 billion in the previous year. Of this, 40% was made up of exports to key markets like
Japan, Malaysia, China, and Indonesia.
Annex 1: List of delegates ( as attachment )
About International Enterprise Singapore
International Enterprise (IE) Singapore is an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry spearheading the
development of Singapore's external economic wing.
Our mission is to promote the overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and international trade. With a
global network in over 30 locations and our "3C" framework of assistance - Connections, Competency, Capital,
we offer services to help enterprises export, develop business capabilities, find overseas partners and enter new
markets. At the same time, we work to position Singapore as a base for foreign businesses to expand into the
region in partnership with Singapore-based companies. Please visit www.iesingapore.com for more information.
Note to Editor
Please use 'IE Singapore' or 'IE' if an acronym for 'International Enterprise Singapore' is required. In addition,
unless otherwise stated, the use of statistics cited in our media releases, website or Statlink, should be attributed
to IE Singapore.
SOURCE: IE Singapore
For media enquiries, please contact:
Singapore
Ms Celine Sim
Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications Group
International Enterprise Singapore
Tel: + 65 6433 4815
Mobile : + 65 9760 9288
Fax : + 65 6337 8136
Email:celine_sim@iesingapore.gov.sg
United States
Mr James Ching
Center Director, New York Office
International Enterprise Singapore
Email james_ching@iesingaapore.gov.sg
Mr Sunil Sabnani
Center Director, Los Angeles Office
International Enterprise Singapore
Email sunil_sabnani@iesingapore.gov.sg
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