Difficult for diners to consume less salt and sauces because ‘no choice’ sometimes, should focus more on suppliers: Stomper
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When it comes to Singapore’s fight against sodium consumption, the issue is not with diners asking for less salt or sauces, said one Stomper. Rather, suppliers and food establishments also have a part to play as well.
Stomper Francis feels that diners are limited in their options to reduce sodium intake.
His comments are in response to an upcoming campaign by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) slated for the last quarter of 2026 that seeks to normalise the behaviour of consumers asking for less salt and sauces.
The campaign also seeks to encourage consumers to choose lower-sodium options, reported The Straits Times.
However, Francis pointed out that it can be difficult for diners to lower sodium intake.
He said: “For economy rice stalls, the food is already precooked and quite salty. Do diners have a choice?”
The Stomper explained that he faces similar challenges with cook-to-order meals: “I used to ask for less salt and sauces, but the hawker explained that the ingredients they order from suppliers are already preserved with salt, MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) and sauces.
“There’s no way they can make it less salty except by using less sauces or salt when they cook.”
Francis said he has also seen many diners drinking the soup that comes with their meals “as if it is healthy or nutritious” when it is actually “extremely salty with MSG”.
Another common observation he has made is diners pouring soy sauce onto cut chilli padi or helping themselves to free condiments.
“They dip their food into these sauces and you can imagine the sodium content coupled with preservatives,” he added.
As such, Francis feels that the Health Promotion Board (HPB) should focus more on suppliers instead of hawkers or coffee shop stalls.
However, he also acknowledged that everyone — diners, supplies and food stalls alike — all have a part to play and need to be educated.
Francis shared the following suggestions:
- Choose healthier choices ingredients from suppliers
- Use less salt and MSG for free soup and gravy
- Limit free sauces by not allowing diners to help themselves
“Diners love gravy and chefs are happy to provide uncontrolled portions, especially for curry rice,” said the Stomper. “However, chefs should control the chilli and sauces, and provide them only upon request.
“Chicken rice, lor mee, fish soup, wanton noodles, ban mian and fish ball noodles are among the culprits that offer free sauces and chilli.”
Not as straightforward as simply cutting down on the amount of salt used
HPB chief executive Tay Choon Hong said there has been industry feedback on difficulties in product reformulation and the need to ensure commercial viability.
For example, light soya sauce manufacturers have told HPB that if the sodium threshold is set too low, there will not be enough salt to support the fermentation process as the sauce contains a high amount of soya beans.
Manufacturers also pointed out that as sauces and seasonings are careful blends of different tastes and flavour profiles, any reduction in salt amounts will need a rebalancing to ensure the flavour profile.
HPB subsequently adjusted the threshold for soya sauce to help manufacturers reformulate with a meaningful reduction in sodium content, and yet have good quality soya sauce, reported The Straits Times.
Other steps HPB has taken include working with retailers to make lower-sodium alternatives more affordable and putting up healthier choices at designated shelves of FairPrice and Sheng Siong supermarkets to raise consumer awareness of existing products.
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