To comply with the regulations, Mr Tan said up to two part-time workers spend one to two days at a Woodlands warehouse every time a container arrives. They have to unseal the cartons, cross out the words on each packet and re-seal the cartons for distribution. One container has around 1,000 cartons, with 12 packets each.
Mr Tan said the company pays $1.50 for the work on each carton but noted that the extra costs are minimal. He said sales have not dipped but have in fact gone up, due to the spiffy new packaging.
Health-care professionals lauded the strict AVA guidelines.
Said Ms Liong Suet Mei, a dietitian at the National University Hospital: 'It's good that the text is blocked out. Claims are consumer- friendly and easier to read compared to the information listed in the nutritional panel so consumers will tend to believe that.'
She added that most people might be drawn into thinking the chips are healthy just because the word 'apple' is present.
Ms Christine Ong, chief dietitian at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital, agreed.
She said the frying process may result in vitamins like vitamin C and folic acid being lost while the adding of salt or other seasonings leads to a higher sodium level compared to that of fresh fruit.
Diets rich in salt can lead to high blood pressure. 'It is possible for chips made from fruit to be unhealthy if they are fried as they would contain added fats,' she added.
graciac@sph.com.sg
This story was first published in thesundaytimes on Nov 23, 2008.
