Singaporeans love food and there are some who take their obsession a step further - like self-proclaimed chocolate aficionado Lim Lisa, 30, who works at a chocolate factory.

Every day at work, she is surrounded by the sweet smell of chocolates. “I feel like I am in Willy Wonka’s factory, surrounded by chocolates. But I have this fear that I’m getting fatter and fatter by the day,” Ms Lim joked, referring to the much-loved character in famous children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Her work as a food technologist at local chocolate manufacturing company Aalst Chocolate involves tasting samples daily, to analyse the quality of the firm’s products such as whether it has the right level of texture and viscosity.

Ms Lim, a Singapore permanent resident, has been working at Aalst for the past three years, after joining the firm from another food manufacturing company. As part of her job, she also researches into consumer trends to help the firm improve its existing products or come up with new ones to satisfy customers’ ever-changing taste and preferences.

“I can create new chocolate products and tests whether it is commercially viable. What I like about this is the problem-solving aspect. If it doesn’t work out, it’s back to the drawing block and we try again till we get it right,” said Ms Lim, whose passion for food science was ignited while she was studying for a food technology degree at a university back home in Malaysia.

Singapore’s food manufacturing industry has been identified as one of several growth sectors amid the economic slowdown. Part of the factors driving the growth is the rising demand from consumers for healthier food options. Companies are also constantly trying to come up with new products that would tickle customers’ tastebuds and help them stand out in a crowded marketplace both here and abroad.

About two years ago, product development manager Eugene Tan conceptualised a new vitamin drink for his company beverage manufacturer Wanin Industries. Called the Monzter Vitamin Drink, the product – which is targeted at children - has an extra dose of Vitamin C, contains less sugar, and comes in different flavours. “I lost count how many times we had to sample the drink. It’s like wine tasting, we had to spit it out, if not, we get too full. And it is a tiring process because we had to go back and forth,” said Mr Tan, 32.

His efforts paid off last year when the drink hit the shelves, opening up a new product line – targeting a new consumer segment - for the company, which started out producing mineral water for over two decades before branching out into making isotonic drinks in 2007.

In fact, if not for Mr Tan’s persistence, he would not even be in the industry in the first place. Without relevant background or training in the sector, the economics graduate had to convince his employers of his desire to learn in an industry. He made his mind up to join the sector, as he felt that it has great potential for growth.

Starting out as a management executive six years ago, Mr Tan worked his way up to his current position which requires him to understand the workings in his company’s different departments – from production to sales and marketing – and work with them to create new products.

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by Faris Mokhtar

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