SINGAPORE – People who grew up in Singapore know that when it comes to luncheon meat, there is that go-to brand from China. Grown-ups wax lyrical about pan-fried slices of pink canned meat in sandwiches, in a bowl of instant noodles or over rice. They indulge in nostalgia, even if food safety fears or sodium overload stops them from indulging in that pleasure from childhood.
Today, the umbrella company that runs Golden Bridge and its other brands, OTS Holdings, makes more than 1,000 variations of products in 14 categories, including waxed meats, canned meats, meat floss, charcuterie, condiments and ready-to-eat food. The late founder Mr Ong, who died in 2013 at the age of 84, grew up in a family of pig farmers. Instead of going into the business, he started working as a delivery assistant, then became a lorry driver. He set up a logistics company, and then three more businesses, dealing with vehicle repair, textile printing and textile printing machinery.
“Lean sausages came about because consumers had become more sophisticated over the years. He scaled back on the amount of fat in the sausages to fit local taste preferences. In Hong Kong, people prefer super fatty ones, but we wanted to cater to consumers here.” Madam Ong says: “Golden Bridge was one of two brands at that time to make Taiwanese sausages. It was quite unheard of for companies to expand from waxed sausages to chilled and frozen products.”
OTS Holdings, which has about 150 employees, makes most of its products in a 9,131 sq m factory in Senoko, which has halal and non-halal wings. It also has a factory in Pulau Bulan, Indonesia, which manufactures food for the market there and works with contract manufacturers in Malaysia to supply that country.
A 250g pouch costs $6.30 on RedMart, while a 340g can of Anew luncheon meat costs $5.45, also from RedMart.