SINGAPORE — A unit of the country’s leading fair price chain, NTUC Foodfare, has launched a new line of affordable ready-to-eat meals, called Chef’s Finest Low-GI, that are suitable for people with diabetes.
The lower-glycaemic index (GI) meals come in five flavors: Nonya rendang chicken, Vietnamese lemongrass baked chicken, Teochew braised duck, braised soy chicken, and baked cheese seafood tomato rice.
All the microwaveable frozen meals are made with brown rice and barley instead of white rice, and are certified halal.
They are the first low-GI ready-to-eat meals to be endorsed by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) as being suitable for those with diabetes, and bear the Healthier Choice label.
They are available at more than 20 NTUC FairPrice outlets starting from Monday (Dec 10) and cost between $3.90 and $5.90.
Calories for the meals range from 398kcal for the tomato rice to 496kcal for the braised duck.
NTUC Foodfare chief executive Perry Ong said: “More than just catering to the dietary needs of diabetic patients, a low-GI meal is equally beneficial to general consumers like you and me.”
He was speaking during the product launch at AMK Hub’s NTUC FairPrice Xtra outlet on Monday.
NTUC Foodfare worked with staff and students from Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Applied Science to develop the products, Mr Ong said.
The collaboration started in November last year.
Shoppers at AMK Hub will also now have access to pharmacist counseling and telemedicine consultation services at the new integrated Unity pharmacy located in the mall’s NTUC FairPrice Xtra outlet.
Unity pharmacies were previously located separately from FairPrice supermarkets.
Customers will be able to seek advice from pharmacists on medication and other healthcare concerns.
They can also speak to a doctor remotely, over a video conference in a private room behind the pharmacy counter, under a service called iDoc.
They can then receive a diagnosis and prescription on the spot for $15.
The service, first rolled out at Unity pharmacies in Thomson Plaza and Tampines One in June this year, is now available at five Unity outlets.
Patients can also access the iDoc website on their computers at home and pick up their prescription medicine at one of 10 Unity outlets.
