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Yeo’s, Tiger Beer and now Gardenia – flight of food manufacturing from Singapore might be just as planned

By keeping high-value functions here and moving production out, local manufacturers are doing just what the Economic Strategy Review proposes

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Janice Heng

Janice Heng

Published Wed, May 20, 2026 · 05:42 PM
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    • The departure of food manufacturing operations from Singapore may not necessarily be reason for concern.
    • The departure of food manufacturing operations from Singapore may not necessarily be reason for concern. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT

    [SINGAPORE] Gardenia Foods is the latest home-grown company that is shifting food manufacturing out of Singapore – and it may well be far from the last to do so.

    Yet, even as these moves mean a loss of jobs, they are in line with the Republic’s path forward, as laid out in the recently released recommendations of the Economic Strategy Review (ESR).

    Not only may Singapore have to brace for more of such departures, some mindsets may also have to shift – seeing these not as reasons to mourn, but steps towards greater efficiency.

    Singapore manufacturingSingapore economySingapore F&B

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