The 117-year-old heritage brand, known locally for its Amocan range of canned chicken curries and pastes, has recently expanded its line-up with ready-to-eat vegetarian meals and chilli crunch toppings.
These aim to meet growing demand for plant-based options and versatile condiments across Asia.
“The vegetarian and plant-based series were developed because more people are becoming health-conscious. There’s this perception that plant-based or vegetarian means healthier.
“We also want to create products that are versatile – something you can use for cooking or eat as a condiment or seasoning,” said Amoy Canning’s VP of Marketing & Projects Johnny Foo.
Flexitarian and convenient
The latest launches cater to health-conscious consumers who want the option of eating vegetarian food occasionally, and time-strapped professionals looking for shortcut solutions.
“Our products are for busy working individuals who have limited time to cook. With these, anyone can cook and feel like a chef. You can have a meal ready in just 15 to 20 minutes,” Foo said.
He added that the firm leans on its heritage while bringing forward Nyonya and Thai-inspired profiles to differentiate itself from competitors.
For example, the vegetarian range includes Assam fish, curry, and laksa pastes packaged as complete cooking kits. These significantly reduce preparation time – each dish would typically take over an hour to make if starting from scratch with raw ingredients.
The plant-based canned series are similarly available in popular Asian flavours. They include spicy shredded meat with basil, green curry chicken with fish balls, and Thai curry chicken. These do not require any cooking and can be eaten straight from the can.
The chilli crunch range also reflects evolving taste trends, featuring bold, spicy profiles designed for versatility. The latest line-up includes flavours such as mala, anchovy, and hae bee hiam – all designed to be adaptable across a variety of dishes.
Foo highlighted their use in fried rice, noodles, plain rice, vegetables, seafood, and nasi lemak, underscoring the brand’s efforts to balance tradition with modern convenience.
“We don’t want to follow what’s already in the market. We give more variety,” said Foo. “Our motto is simple: people must enjoy our food.”
Amoy Canning’s heritage helps inform its flavour choices, but its focus remains on meeting modern consumer needs.
Innovating to meet evolving needs
Today, Amoy Canning is based in Singapore, with products stocked in local supermarkets such as Cold Storage and Sheng Siong. It also operates an office in Australia and exports to 28 countries, including markets in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, such as Dubai and Bahrain.
The company originally started out selling soy sauce in 1908 in Xiamen, China, and later expanded to develop a wide range of SKUs to meet diverse consumer needs – including assam paste, satay sauce, and bak kut teh kits.
Even as global appetite for Asian flavours grows, regulatory challenges remain.
“Export restrictions are still one of our biggest hurdles,” Foo noted.
Nonetheless, the company is optimistic about scaling up innovation to meet regional and international needs. “We’re always looking at how to offer more variety and cater to different tastes, whether it’s through new formats, flavours, or healthier choices,” Foo added.
