Singapore Edition: Stopping the next pandemic

Each week we bring you insights into one of Asia's most dynamic economies. If you haven't yet, please sign up here.

This week, reporter Karoline Kan looks into a training program that's helping health specialists get ahead of the next pandemic, Alfred Cang uncovers the local roots of an iconic (and troubled) food company, and Katie Turner reviews deviled cashews at a Sri Lankan restaurant on Boon Tat Street.

Pandemic Trackers

Five years after Covid upended our world, many hard-won lessons are being left behind: vaccination rates are falling, early detection systems in many countries have crumbled and slowing economic growth is straining national health budgets.

Yet with one of the world's busiest airports, a large foreign workforce and a trade-dependent economy, Singapore is always going to be at risk of importing the next outbreak. And climate change is forecast to accelerate disease transmission.

Many major outbreaks have their roots in Asia — not just Covid, but SARS in the early 2000s and the H5N1 avian influenza before that — making early detection in our region critical to stopping a full-blown pandemic. Recent cuts to US and European-funded overseas health programs are raising the stakes further.

Sewage pipes near Karoline Kan's neighborhood.
Photographer: Karoline Kan/Bloomberg

Singapore and groups like the Gates Foundation can't fill that funding gap alone. The city-state's training program for regional specialists is a key tool for keeping on top of future outbreaks. Health professionals from across Southeast Asia are now regularly coming to Singapore for training sessions organized by Duke-NUS Medical School and the country's environmental agency.

It's not glamorous work: the specialists spend a week scooping sewage from manholes around the city and then testing those samples for the genetic signatures of viruses. But the method is one of the most cost-effective ways to detect outbreaks spreading silently through communities.

Singapore has been doing wastewater surveillance for years, but many countries are still building up the expertise to carry it out. Sampling the sewage of an entire neighborhood can cost less than $40 and, critically, it doesn't rely on doctor visits or self-reporting.

Singapore's program isn't a panacea — it can't replace the billions of dollars the US spent abroad each year on vaccinations, disease detection and other health initiatives. But it is the kind of effort that could be vital the next time an outbreak emerges.

As Teo Yik Ying, dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore, told Bloomberg, "If we are able to keep neighboring countries safe, Singapore is also safe." — Karoline Kan and Bill Faries

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Pantry Staple

Check your pantry: there's a good chance any canned tomatoes or fruit salad lurking back there carries the iconic red-and-yellow logo of Del Monte. But until this week, not many of us in Singapore realized that the California-born brand had local financial roots.

That relationship emerged after the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and its Singapore-listed parent, Del Monte Pacific Ltd., came out to say that its non-US operations would remain unaffected.

The company's nearly 140-year history has been peppered by private equity ownership and various corporate restructurings. The Del Monte Pacific IPO in Singapore in 1999 was launched to attract global investors and build a war chest for regional deals.

Del Monte Foods sliced carrots. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

The Singapore bourse was a far more vibrant place back then. That year, there were 51 IPOs, a far cry from today's quiet landscape, and Del Monte was joining other food companies like Cerebos Pacific, a maker of bottled chicken essence.

By 2013, the company was backed by NutriAsia Pacific, controlled by the Philippines' influential Campos family, and ready to spread its wings. It bought the consumer food unit of Del Monte Foods for $1.68 billion from KKR, reuniting with the US company while taking on a whole load of debt.

Fast forward more than a decade and events have turned sour. A mix of rising borrowing costs and stocking up on too much inventory during the pandemic led to this week's court filing. The unit is currently burdened with more than $1.2 billion in secured debt, according to the filing.

But don't panic. With restructuring talks underway and the firm poised to sell assets, there's still hope that those canned tomatoes or pineapples for your homemade pizzas won't entirely disappear from our supermarket shelves. — Alfred Cang

The Review: Station By Kotuwa

From the best spots for a business lunch to drinks with the boss, we sample the city's eateries, bars and new experiences.

If you're in the market for a laid-back vibe and fantastic food look no further than Station By Kotuwa, tucked away behind the scaffolding currently up on Boon Tat Street. It's the baby brother of renowned Sri Lankan restaurant Kotuwa, and both locations offer elevated street food under the watchful eye of chef Rishi Naleendra.

Station by Kotuwa Source: Station by Kotuwa

The vibe. Energetic but relaxed, Station By Kotuwa describes itself as "come-as-you-are" and "fuss free." It feels like the perfect location for drinks and snacks when you knock off work. The service is on point with sage advice on mixing and matching dishes.

Can you conduct a meeting here? Tables were set well apart, but the music and general acoustics probably aren't ideal for a business meeting.

What about a romantic dinner? Sure, with the caveat that it's more of a fun, loud experience than intimate. Better for a no-pressure first date perhaps?

What we'd order again. Pretty much everything, though you do have to like spice. We started with moreish devilled jumbo cashews and a combination of banana blossom cutlets and mouth-watering mutton rolls. Vegetarians will be in heaven here with about half the menu suitable for non-meat eaters. The beetroot starter with shishito pepper, Malay pickle and curd was a stand-out, as was the main course of cauliflower with kiri hodi and toasted mustard. Do try to save room for dessert.

Grouper Source: Station by Kotuwa

Need to know. Station By Kotuwa, 21 Boon Tat Street, is open Wednesday through Friday for lunch 12–3 p.m. And for dinner it's open Tuesday through Saturday 6–11 p.m. The "Station Feast" tasting menu is S$68. Dinner for two a la carte will set you back about S$200 without alcohol. — Katie Turner

Have a place you'd like us to review or feedback to share? Get in touch at [email protected].

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