Speech by Minister of State for Health, Dr Amy Khor, at the Worlds of Healthy Flavors Asia Conference 2012

Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Minister of State for Health and Manpower at the Worlds of Healthy Flavors ASIA® 1st Annual Invitational Leadership Conference and Educational Initiative for Foodservice and Healthcare Leaders on 28 November 2012, 4:50pm at Raffles City Convention Centre

Mr Ang Hak Seng, Chief Executive Officer of Health Promotion Board,

Mr Greg Drescher, Vice President, Strategic Initiative & Industry Leadership, Culinary Institute of America,

Professor Walter Willett, Chair, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health,

Professor Chia Kee Seng, Dean, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore,

Honoured guests and ladies and gentlemen.

Good afternoon to one and all,

Introduction

1.            Let me just say this with a caveat that I can cook, but I am not sure if I am a great cook. But I am delighted to welcome all of you to the inaugural Worlds of Healthy Flavors Asia Conference 2012.

2.            It is indeed an honour to be in the company of such a diverse group of thought leaders and trendsetters from both the healthcare and food service industries. Amongst you are members of academia, health practitioners, food & beverage  directors, menu developers, executive chefs, food authors and food bloggers, all coming together in a three-day retreat to share your knowledge as well as gain a deeper understanding of health and wellness issues related to the food and food service industry.

3.            The Worlds of Healthy Flavors Asia initiative is the 1^st Asian edition of the US-based Worlds of Healthy Flavors co-developed by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). Over the past eight years, this initiative has brought together, as Mr Greg Drescher mentioned earlier, America's most influential high-volume food service chefs and leading nutrition scientists as well as various world culinary experts in order to advance healthier food choices in the US.

4.            Through this initiative, the cooking techniques and rich flavours from the Mediterranean and Latin America have become more accessible in America. In addition, the tradition embedded in these cuisines, which highlight fresh produce, whole-grains, spices, herbs and unsaturated plant oils while relying less on saturated fats, has formed the basis for many healthy menu offerings in the US.

The Asian edition

5.            I therefore hope that this first Worlds of Healthy Flavors Asia conference will invigorate the local food landscape in the same way as the American edition has done for their counterparts by inspiring more chefs and food operators to create healthier menu options for diners in Singapore and the region.

6.            Co-organised by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) as well as Harvard School of Public Health, the World of Healthy Flavors Asia Conference 2012 aims to bring together the best of cooking traditions in Singapore and the region with the latest developments in nutrition science, so as to help local and regional chefs develop menus that are not only authentic and full of flavour, but healthy as well. Great tasting food is often associated with unhealthy food, but that myth can be shattered and I hope that this conference will be the means to that end. In fact, healthy food can be tasty as well as affiordable. The three need not be mutually exclusive.

7.            It is well-known that we Singaporeans love our food, often lots of it, and all kinds of it. In fact, if you are in Singapore long enough, you would know that one of our favourite pastimes is eating. We offer diverse cuisines from every corner of Asia and the world and increasingly have food-loving consumers who demand healthy dishes that must also tantalise their taste buds. At the same time, we have healthcare professionals, like Professor Chia from Saw Swee Hock School, working hard to encourage Singaporeans to embrace healthy diets and lifestyles. As such, Singapore is a natural fit to host this conference.

A dynamic market

8.         The restaurant and food service industry is one of the most dynamic of all sectors. In fact, it is really quite recession-proof as whether there is a recession or not, you still have to eat. In the USA, for instance, about one out of every four meals consumed is prepared by a restaurant or food service operator ^[1] . Despite a subdued consumer demand worldwide due to an uncertain economic outlook, the global food market is forecast to reach US$4.3 trillion by 2015, with the Asia Pacific expecting the highest growth.

The rise of the healthier menu in Singapore

9.         Dining out is a common ritual among Singaporeans. It is a great family bonding time and provides opportunities for socialisation and relaxation. According to the 2010 National Nutrition Survey, the proportion of Singapore residents eating out regularly increased from 49% in 2004 to 60% in 2010. The percentage of household food expenditure spent on eating out has also increased over a 10-year period, from 59% in 2003 to 63% in 2008. In 2010, there were more than 6,000 food establishments netting about S$6.2 billion in revenue. This $6.2 billion is 12% more than $5.6 billion in 2008^[2] . With new shopping malls and food outlets, we can expect an even more vibrant local food scene in the near future.

10.       At the same time, according to our consumer insight studies, more and more Singaporeans are also becoming health-conscious even as our lifestyles grow increasingly hectic. With a competitive consumer food service industry, healthier food offerings that are also delicious have become strategic tools for food service operators to differentiate themselves or pull ahead of their competitors.

11.       Reflecting this strong trend towards healthier living and eating is the rise of food service establishments that cater for the health-conscious consumer. So last year, one of our hawker centres, Yuhua Hawker Centre, reinvented itself when it worked with HPB to become Singapore’s first Healthier Hawker Centre, switching to using healthier ingredients as a default, and showcasing new menu boards depicting the calorie count for each meal at its stalls. The success of Yuhua Hawker Centre has since spurred other food outlets in other areas - Geylang Serai, Bukit Batok and Marine Terrace, to adopt the same healthier meal concept. Today, we do not only have healthier hawker centres, we also have healthier coffee shops and food courts serving affordable healthier meals ^[3] .

12.       Working with HPB, restaurants and caterers such as Subway and Neo Garden Catering have also started offering healthier menus. Hotels like Grand Copthorne now serve healthier banquet menus providing at least two servings of vegetables creatively incorporated into their menus. And our hospitals - Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital and Singapore General Hospital, went a step further by adopting a pricing policy that results in healthier meals costing less than the average meal at their food outlets ^[4] .

13.       I am also pleased to share that major bakery chains in Singapore like Breadtalk and Four Seasons have successfully implemented trans fat-free baking since the trans fat regulation was gazetted in Singapore earlier in May [5]. HPB has started working with the centralised kitchens of key food operators such as Koufu with the aim of developing popular healthier food products such as dim sum, curry puffs and samosas prepared with healthier oil and less salt.

Singapore: Ideal test-bed for the Asian food market

14.       These are exciting times for the local food industry. We have renowned chefs setting up shop – as well as home – on our shores. With strong support from business and government leaders, Singapore has also become a popular base from which food companies such as Crystal Jade, BreadTalk, Kopitiam and Koufu, to name a few, have expanded successfully to other Asian cities like Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai and Macau.

15.       This conference will provide many opportunities for those in the regional food service industry, scientific community and healthcare professionals to work together to offer food which is not only just good for health, but also good for the taste buds, and good for business. By next year, I hope we can see highlights of industry best practices and the advancement of nutrition science in the food service industry ^[6] .

16.       On this note, I wish you a fruitful time at the conference and I really hope you will cook up a great time here.

17.       Thank you.

Footnotes: 

[1] 6 in 10 adult Singaporeans eat out at least 4 times a week, and this has been increasing over the past few years.

[2] Singstat, Economic Survey Series 2010, Food and Beverages Services http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/themes/economy/biz/fnb.pdf

[3] Currently we have six healthier hawker centres, seven healthier coffee shops, and two healthier food court outlets.

[4] NTUC Food fare at KTPH -  50 cents cheaper for brown rice and 30-50 cents cheaper for unsweetened drinks. Kopitiam selling brown rice at a discounted price.

[5] Currently, at least 70% of local supplies of fats and oils from the key manufacturers and importers already meet the new regulation.

[6] Singapore will be hosting the World of Healthy Flavors Asia Conference for the first three years.