With more and more organic grocers and healthy food places opening up, you can just see the growing demand for organic food in Singapore. As more of the younger generation turn to preventative measures for their health, they focus more on adopting better lifestyle habits like regular exercise, eating healthy and overall wellness of their mind, body and soul.
The organic food movement started in the 1990s, long before it became a recent trend. Back then, there were fewer options for buying organic and many regulations with labelling and certifications have changed since then.
Although the organic industry is still in its infancy of being regulated globally, most countries follow the Codex Guidelines for organic labelling set by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation.
Moreover, Singapore businesses that label their food products as ‘organic’ must have an international certification from overseas. Most of the common stipulations are the prohibition of chemical fertilisers and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) when growing the food, usage of land that has been free of synthetic fertilisers for a number of years, detailed reports and records of farm production and strict separation of organic and non-organic products.
While these are just guidelines, most established organic retailers in Singapore are organically certified. However, the responsibility of verifying this falls on the retailer and consumers here, as there is no strict regulation of this.
Why Organic Food is Better
The move towards organic food comes as consumers start to realise the benefits of eating organic.
These include reasons such as:
Better Food Safety
As consumers become more aware of where their food comes from, they are also more concerned about the way their food is grown and harvested, what’s put into it and how processed it is.
Eating organic is one way to reduce all these worries about food safety, as organic farms have to follow a strict set of guidelines on not using artificial fertilisers and GMOs when farming and are heavily audited to ensure ethical and sustainable farming practices.
Better Nutritional Value
Organic foods may also have increased nutrients and vitamins when grown naturally without any chemicals and preservatives. Plants grown without synthetic fertilizers naturally produce phytochemicals to guard against predators and competitors. These phytochemicals are compounds that contribute to the taste, smell and colour of fruits and vegetables and are also very beneficial for our health. For example, carotenoids in tomatoes and squash may help to boost immunity, inhibit cancer growth and improve cardiovascular disease. In other instances, studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids are up to 50 percent higher in organic meat and milk than in conventionally raised versions.
Better for the Environment
Without the use of synthetic fertilizers, there are also reduced chances for chemical runoff, which is in turn better for the animals and people who live close to farms. Organic farming practices also reduce pollution, conserve water, and increase soil fertility among other things.
Where to Shop Organic in Singapore
So where can you find good organic food in Singapore? With the increased demand for it, there are now many different places that you can purchase your organic groceries from.
Direct From the Farms
Yes, surprisingly there are still farms in Singapore, which either grow produce that is organic or grown without pesticides. Mostly located in the north, these farms often supply to supermarkets, but you can also purchase directly from them through their website or head down to the farms themselves!
Organic Groceries Subscription Box
For those who are fruit and veggie addicts, getting a box of organic groceries delivered to your doorstep every week or month can be thrilling. As the contents of the boxes may vary, each subscription box is a surprise. Furthermore, the convenience of not having to worry about going out to purchase groceries can save a lot of time and effort.
Major Supermarket Chains
Most supermarket chains like Cold Storage and Fairprice, all now come with their own organic grocery aisle. Grab your organic produce along with other food products to cover all essentials with an easy supermarket run.
Specialised Organic Retailer
Other places you can find organic food is your specialised organic retailer. Many smaller organic retailers are now located in various neighbourhoods and can provide you with more intimate knowledge about their suppliers and where their produce comes from. Get to know their staff more and build a closer relationship with these local stores.
What You Should Look Out For
Of course, before purchasing anything, you should make sure to check the following:
- Expiry dates: To check the freshness of the product where possible
- Country of origin: Most organic products sold in Singapore are either local, from Malaysia and Australia
- Organic Certificate: Each country has their own organic certification process. You can check the certification for the product and continue to research on their organic guidelines and standards to understand the product more
- Other ingredients/labels: You may want to check the rest of the other ingredients on the label to see if the item is actually healthy.
Buy Organic Food from Nature’s Glory Online
As a specialised organic grocer, Nature’s Glory has been in the business since 1991, when we were one of the pioneers of the organic movement in Singapore. Nature’s Glory was also one of the first few grocers to be organically certified in 2008.
We are your trusted supplier of organic food and health food products:
Convenience
Now with our online ecommerce store, you can purchase your groceries conveniently with the click of a button and get them delivered to your doorstep in a few working days.
Organic Assurance
We are also 100% committed to food safety and offering authentic, organic food products without any use of chemicals, GMOs, fumigation, microwaves and radiation. We painstakingly have our own in-house checks to ensure that our food products are safe to be eaten.
Wide Range of Organic Products
Furthermore, we have a wide range of organic products, including fresh produce, dried items, food-based supplements, manuka honey, aloe vera concentrate, organic castile soaps, grains, sauces and drinks.
Do shop all our organic products at our ecommerce store.