CALL it a curious case of "if pigs could fly".

Following the suspension of imports of Maling luncheon meat in August, this popular made-in-China pork product has all but flown off shelves here, as people clean out the remaining stocks.

Alternative brands such as Tulip from Denmark and Spam from the United States also ran out of stocks briefly in the last two months, and their distributors have since increased their orders by as much as three-fold to fill the vacuum left by Maling.

There's another product trying to fill that vacuum: fish luncheon meat.

This minced mackerel fish substitute was launched two weeks ago by Ayam Brand, a household name founded by a French company here and better known for its canned tuna and sardines.

Supermarket chain FairPrice was the first to sell this fish luncheon meat. The move, a spokesman says, is meant to diversify its sources for luncheon meat while making available healthier alternatives.

The fish luncheon meat, which includes ingredients such as modified tapioca starch and ikan bilis powder but no pork, will be available at other retailers such as Cold Storage and Shop N Save by the end of this month. It comes in three flavours - original, black pepper and spicy.

On the timely appearance of this fish substitute, Mr Roy Teo, 50, general manager of Clouet Trading, which distributes Ayam Brand here, says: "We've been developing our fish luncheon meat line for about two years now, and it is a coincidence that the product is ready to be introduced to the market during the current squeeze on luncheon meat supplies."

He adds that the company thought of developing fish luncheon meat because it noticed that people here consume a lot of pork luncheon meat. But Ayam wanted to use fish as that is its core business.

According to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), Singapore has been importing on average some 4,500 tonnes of luncheon meat a year from countries such as China, Denmark and the US from 2002 to 2006. Last year, the figure was 4,473 tonnes.

The authority, which deals with food safety issues here, suspended two canned meat processing plants in China from exporting to Singapore in August after detecting a banned antibiotic in their products during routine monitoring. This suspension has affected the Maling and Narcissus brands.

The banned antibiotic, nitrofurans, is fed to pigs to treat illnesses and is carcinogenic. It can pose a health hazard when consumed long term and in sufficient quantities.

Another six canned meat processing plants in China are allowed by AVA to export their products here, including Maling and Narcissus brand luncheon meats, if suppliers of the former choose to manufacture these products at the plants. But since the clampdown, these factories have not produced or exported any Maling luncheon meat here.
Luncheon meat, also known as lunch meat, refers to processed, pre-packaged meat that is usually molded into a loaf.

Commonly flavoured with salt, the product?s characteristic pink hue is due to the presence of sodium nitrate, which also gives preserved meats such as ham its fresh flesh-toned colour.

Maling luncheon meat, which has long been a market leader here according to supermarkets, is popular for its soft, greasy, salty taste. For many, the canned product also evokes a sense of nostalgia. It can be eaten uncooked or panfried, as a sandwich patty or a side dish to porridge, nasi lemak or fried beehoon.

So will consumers craving Maling pork luncheon meat be open to alternative brands and products?

Ms Yvonne Yeo, 33, product manager of Tulip brand, which has been offering chicken luncheon meat for more than 10 years, says its pork version usually out-sells the former by three times.

She adds: "The recent shortage of Tulip pork luncheon meat on shelves here, however, has meant that consumers are buying more chicken luncheon meat."

Mrs Maria Chan, 45, an administrative executive whose family must have luncheon meat at least once a month, tried the fish luncheon meat recently.

Noting that the canned fish substitute tastes "like otah" (banana leaf-wrapped fishcake), she nonetheless prefers it to Western brands such as Spam and Tulip.

Others would rather forgo luncheon meat than look to substitutes.

Housewife Yip Ah Fook, 77, who used to cook Maling's luncheon meat at her family's weekly get-together, has since switched to corned beef, for fear that other luncheon meat products might contain nitrofurans.

Fried beehoon and curry rice sellers LifeStyle interviewed say they plan to stop selling luncheon meat as a side dish after their supplies run out because of the escalating price. Earlier this year, they paid some $20 for 24 cans of Maling pork luncheon meat, but last month, they had to fork out $70 for the same amount of pork luncheon meat for brands such as Gulong.

Madam Alice Fang, 38, who owns an economic beehoon stall in Chinatown, says: "You can still have beehoon without luncheon meat, and my customers will just have to get used to it."

Die-hard fans of Maling's luncheon meat might want to sniff around provision stores for leftover stocks.

According to AVA, the cans of Maling luncheon meat that remain on the shelves here are safe to eat.

Suzanne Minimart in Toa Payoh Lorong 1 stocks no fewer than four brands of China-made luncheon meat, including the Shanghai Maling B2 luncheon meat.

The owner, Madam Chung Wai Heng, 42, says she doubled the order for the luncheon meat in October when her suppliers told her of a potential shortage of supply.

While there has been no mad rush for it at the store, she says customers now pick up one to two more cans than they usually do.

She adds with a shrug: "My stocks will probably last another month, and after that, there's nothing more I can do to help satisfy my customers."

LifeStyle tested the following eight types of luncheon meat, including alternatives such as chicken and fish luncheon meat. They were eaten both straight from the can and panfried
Shanghai Maling B2 Pork Luncheon Meat Where: Suzanne Minimart, Block 107 Toa Payoh Lorong 1, 01-252 Price: $1.80 for 198g Nothing screams luncheon meat more than this product?s familiar briny smell, which is intermingled with that of spices. A film of oil coats the lips when you eat it uncooked. Firm to the bite, it becomes softer after sizzling in its own fat on a hot griddle.	Ayam Brand Original Fish Luncheon Meat Where: FairPrice outlets Price: $2.35 for 195g There?s no mistaking the smell of minced fish in this luncheon meat, but it?s not a bad smell nor does it taste fishy. In fact, this dense fishcake-like product has a mildly sweet and slightly peppery taste. Hardly oily, it has a tau kwa-like (firm beancurd) texture when fried.	Spam Classic Pork Luncheon Meat Where: FairPrice and Cold Storage outlets Price: $5.04 to $5.15 for 340g Similar in appearance to its made-in-China counterparts, the smell of pork in this luncheon meat is not heavily masked by the seasonings used, which is not a bad thing. It is however, saltier than most other brands.
American Pride Chicken Luncheon Meat Where: FairPrice outlets Price: $3.46 for 340g A deep rosy pink, this luncheon meat smells like boiled chicken. Soft and slightly salty, it has a bitter edge that reminds one of chicken liver and this taste does not diminish even after frying. Pate, anyone?	Yifon Ham Luncheon Meat Where: Suzanne Minimart, Block 107 Toa Payoh Lorong 1, 01-252 Price: $2.60 for 340g The meat is the most mushy of all tested, but perceptible bits of stringy meat fibres make up for its soft, crumbly texture. It tastes better fried as it is oilier than most others when consumed straight from the can.	Tulip Pork Luncheon Meat Where: FairPrice and Cold Storage outlets Price: $2.45 for 340g Darker in colour than its made-in-China counterparts, this reddish pink luncheon meat with its finely minced texture is nicely salty. When fried, the meat deepens to a sausage-like brown and becomes more aromatic.
Mili Pork Luncheon Meat Where: Suzanne Minimart, Block 107 Toa Payoh Lorong 1, 01-252 Price: $2.90 for 397g More beige than pink in colour, this luncheon meat is dense and makes one wonder if starch rather than pork is the main ingredient.	Gulong Pork Luncheon Meat Where: Suzanne Minimart, Block 107 Toa Payoh Lorong 1, 01-252 Price: $1.50 for 190g Firm to the bite with a uniformly smooth texture, it has an unmistakeable peppery taste that remains even after frying.