‘Customers won’t be happy’: Why cutting salt is a tough sell for Singapore’s hawkers

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SINGAPORE: When hawker Ringo Yen tried making his wanton noodle soup less salty, some customers complained that it tasted bland and added more condiments themselves. 

"It's so scary, the way they pour the soya sauce (into their food)," said the second-generation hawker, whose family has run Xiang Ji Wanton Mee at Bedok Food Centre for more than 50 years. 

Mr Yen's efforts to make his soup less salty over the past two years highlight a challenge facing Singapore's push to reduce sodium consumption: Diners still expect familiar, stronger flavours.

"You must convince the customer first before you convince the hawker. If you do it the other way around, it will not be very effective," he said. 

Despite years of efforts to promote lower-sodium ingredients, most hawkers CNA spoke to remain reluctant to change their recipes, fearing that altering the taste of their dishes could drive customers away.

Their concerns come as Singaporeans are consuming more sodium than before, with food sold outside the home also becoming saltier. 

Findings from the National Population Health Survey and National Nutrition Survey released earlier this month showed that Singapore adults were consuming more calories and salt despite being more physically active.

Nearly all Singapore residents, or 95 per cent, exceeded the recommended daily sodium limit of 2,000mg, equivalent to about one teaspoon of salt. This is up from 88 per cent in 2019.

The findings also pointed to eating out as a factor behind the rise in sodium intake. Seven in 10 residents ate out at least once a day in 2025, up from six in 10 in 2019. 

In response to CNA's queries, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) said analyses of commonly consumed dishes found their sodium content rose by about 20 per cent between 2010 and 2023, and by a further 10 per cent between 2023 and 2025. 

While HPB has been encouraging food operators to adopt lower-sodium ingredients, take-up among hawkers remains limited. 

Under the Healthier Ingredient Promotion Programme, introduced in 2024, HPB promoters engage hawkers stall by stall to explain the benefits of cutting sodium, offer lower-sodium ingredients for trial and link interested hawkers with suppliers.

As of June this year, HPB had reached out to about 4,000 hawkers across 146 hawker centres and coffeeshops.

Of these, only 650 stalls had switched to lower-sodium salt, sauces or seasonings. This was, however, up from just over 300 stalls in December 2024.

WHY HAWKERS ARE AFRAID TO CUT SALT 

For many hawkers, changing a tried-and-tested recipe remains a difficult decision.

They told CNA that as they operate on tight margins, they risk a costly gamble by tinkering with familiar recipes.

Some who experimented with lower-sodium alternatives eventually returned to their usual ingredients, citing concerns over taste, costs and customer demand. 

Others said diners are asking for more, not less – extra gravy, more condiments and bolder flavours. 

Mr Daniel Loh, who runs Japanese fusion stall Ippon Fusion Bowl at Our Tampines Hub Hawker Centre, tried lower-sodium salt provided for free by a HPB vendor but switched back to sea salt after a few rounds. 

“I still prefer the natural flavour of the sea salt," he said. 

Cost can be another hurdle, hawkers told CNA. Lower-sodium salt costs about S$5 per kg, more than twice the price of regular salt across major retailers. 

Mr Loh said maintaining flavour while reducing salt could require more or better ingredients, which would drive up costs. 

"Customers are very sensitive to price,” he noted. “So hawkers tend to add more MSG (monosodium glutamate) and salt to enhance the taste and also keep the price low.”

His attempts to introduce two lighter-flavoured vegetable dishes also failed because of weak demand. 

"These items just did not work out. Fewer people order (them) and wastage was also a concern for us," he said. 

For other hawkers, the bigger worry is changing recipes that have kept customers coming back for generations. 

Mr Sam Lee, who runs Hup Lee Wanton Mee at The Marketplace @ 58 along New Upper Changi Road, said he is unlikely to switch despite having been approached by an HPB vendor about alternatives. 

"This is a family recipe passed down through generations," said Mr Lee, whose family has been in the business for nearly 50 years. "The concern is that customers won’t be happy if we change the taste.”

Madam Hajjah Roziah Adon, who runs Nur Indah Kitchen at Bedok Food Centre, has cut back on MSG, using garlic, tomatoes and chicken bones to flavour her broth.

But she said there are limits to how much she can alter her nasi ayam penyet and roasted chicken rice dishes.

She recalled trying to offer a healthier version of her chicken by baking it instead of frying it, only for the few pieces she prepared to go unsold, with diners complaining that the chicken did not taste as "authentic" as they expected.

SLOW PROGRESS, DESPITE EFFORTS TO CUT SODIUM 

Still, some hawkers have found ways to reduce sodium without losing their customers. 

For more than a decade, hawker Sin Kok Kin made his wanton noodles much the same way – until a health scare prompted him to rethink the recipe. 

After being diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2023, the 47-year-old became more conscious of his diet and wanted to help his many elderly customers in the mature Bedok estate eat more healthily too. 

He switched to potassium salt, or K-salt – a lower-sodium alternative to regular table salt – and cut back on oil in his cooking.

Mr Sin, who runs Ah Kiat Wanton Mee at Bedok 538 Market and Food Centre, also began using ingredients such as sugarcane stems and small fresh fish to flavour his soup instead of adding more salt. 

Some long-time customers were initially wary, but gradually came around after he explained the changes. 

"The biggest challenge was my own mental barrier. I was afraid I wouldn't have any business. But considering my own health, I decided to just do it," said Mr Sin. 

"We tried our best to minimise the difference, so that it tasted more or less like the regular version, and they slowly came to accept it." 

While individual hawkers may struggle to adjust their recipes, larger food operators have more resources to experiment with lower-sodium alternatives.

Broadway Food Centre (Holdings), a central kitchen supplying sauces and marinades to more than 48 economical rice stalls in coffeeshops, completely replaced regular salt with lower-sodium salt in 2024. 

Mr Karl Chun, the firm's central kitchen lead, said it took about three months for the team to recalibrate its recipes, including changing the sauces used in dishes such as prawn paste chicken. 

"At an early stage, everybody was still worried because it impacts business if the taste profile wasn't fine-tuned correctly, and consumers are quite picky," said Mr Chun. 

But unlike hawkers, larger operators have more time and resources to experiment with recipes, he noted. 

HPB acknowledged that hawkers face practical challenges in switching to lower-sodium ingredients, particularly concerns about changing established recipes, customer acceptance and higher costs.

It is helping food operators make changes "progressively" by providing ingredient samples for trials, connecting them with suppliers and encouraging group purchases where feasible.

CAN DINERS LEARN TO LOVE LESS SALT? 

The need to reduce sodium remains pressing. High sodium intake can increase the risk of hypertension, which in turn raises the risk of stroke and heart attack. 

Yet sodium is not always obvious to diners. 

“Sodium is 'hidden' in savoury foods. People don't associate bread, certain noodles like mee sua and yellow noodles, or biscuits with being salty the way they do with sweet foods and sugar,” said Ms Choo Wan Yee, a senior dietician at Sengkang General Hospital. 

With hawkers wary of losing customers, experts say changing consumer preferences will be crucial to reducing sodium intake.

Associate Professor Mary Chong from the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health said tastes can change over time, with consumers having a role in driving this shift by actively requesting lower-sodium options.

"Ultimately, consumers need to advocate and demonstrate the demand for lower sodium," she said. 

"If they can normalise that request for less sodium, less salt in their dishes, it can encourage food manufacturers, stall owners to actually join the whole movement." 

HPB has launched initiatives such as the "Ask for Less" movement, encouraging diners to request less salt, sauce or gravy when ordering food. 

But it recognised that voluntary efforts alone "may not be sufficient". 

Together with other government agencies, HPB is reviewing whether stronger policy or regulatory measures are needed to make lower-sodium choices more widely available.

Alongside efforts to encourage diners to choose lower-sodium options, experts suggested that food operators could also make such choices the default.

This could involve gradually reducing sodium in recipes, serving saltier condiments on the side and making healthier choices more visible on menus.

Over time, such measures could help diners adjust to less salty food, they said. 

Ms Choo said individuals can "only do so much" when the food environment around them remains high in sodium.

She stressed that successful sodium reduction would require broader changes, rather than relying solely on individual choices.

"Singapore's food culture is built around bold, flavourful food,” said Ms Choo. “That's not a bad thing, but it does mean sodium reduction requires working with the culture, not against it.”