FairPrice cuts prices on health grounds

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Citing social concerns, Singapore grocer NTUC FairPrice cuts prices on wholegrain rice in a public commitment to aiding the fight against diabetes.

The supermarket says a 5 per cent discount on all FairPrice housebrand wholegrain rice for the next three months will be matched by a similar reduction in the prices of all of its 1000+ Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) certified items for a fortnight, across its 133 supermarkets islandwide.

The measure is part of FairPrice’s healthy eating campaign, the start of a series of initiatives by the organisation this year to promote healthy eating and drive awareness on diabetes. Total savings from these discounts are expected to amount to more than S$500,000 for customers.

NTUC FairPrice chairman Bobby Chin says the trade union owned grocer “serves to make lives better by offering greater value on healthier daily essentials”.

“Rice is a commonly consumed staple in Singapore and by promoting wholegrain rice as a healthier alternative,we are taking a proactive approach in the prevention and management of chronic diseases like diabetes. Beyond rice, we also support the government’s call in advocating a holistic approach towards healthy eating by also providing quality and value for all our Healthier Choice Symbol products.”

Diabetes is fast becoming a major focus of health initiatives globally with the 422 million diabetic adult population in the world expected to double in the next 20 years. Singapore has been found to have the second-highest diabetes prevalence among developed nations, after the US, with one out of nine Singaporeans affected by diabetes and one in three having a chance of getting diabetes in their lifetime.

As an alternative to white rice, wholegrain rice has been shown to lower the risk of developing diabetes while containing more fibre, vitamins and minerals.

“The 5 per cent discount for all FairPrice housebrand wholegrain rice serves to encourage customers to consume these healthier alternatives. The discount is applicable namely to FairPrice Thai Brown Unpolished Rice, FairPrice Thai Red Unpolished Rice and FairPrice Thai Rice Blend, which is a mix of white and brown rice,” the company said in a statement.

Back in 2014, FairPrice began advocating consumption of brown rice through its annual Walk for Rice event by donating brown rice to low-income families. FairPrice has also seen the sale of housebrand brown rice increase by 25 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared to the year before.

Zee Yoong Kang, CEO of the Singapore Health Promotion Board said it was pleasing to see the retailer taking active steps to raise the awareness of healthier choice options amongst consumers.

“The market share of Healthier Choice Symbol products has been gaining market share with sales of Healthier Choice Symbol products growing at 9 per cent annually. This is a very encouraging sign that more and more Singaporeans are taking steps to select healthier options when grocery shopping. We encourage more F&B retailers to join in this effort so that together we can increase the pervasiveness of healthier options for Singaporeans.”


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