HPB-Certified Catering in Singapore: Why It Matters for Corporate Wellness Events

If your organisation regularly hosts events on government premises or runs corporate catering in Singapore with wellness guidelines to follow, the HPB-certified caterer you choose matters more than most people realise. At Makan Mate, we are an officially registered partner under the Health Promotion Board's Healthier Dining Programme (HDP).

What is the HPB Healthier Dining Programme?

The Healthier Dining Programme is an initiative by Singapore's Health Promotion Board to encourage food and beverage operators to offer healthier options that meet specific nutritional standards. Registered partners are listed publicly on HPB's website and are required to comply with a set of verified requirements covering cooking oils, sodium levels, sugar content in beverages, and ingredient standards. It is not a marketing badge. It is a formal compliance commitment, one that Makan Mate has signed and upheld.

What HPB Compliance Actually Means in Our Kitchen

Our Healthier Choice menus are prepared according to strict HPB guidelines, including:

• Healthier cooking oils: we use plant-based oils that meet HPB's low saturated fat criteria, including canola, sunflower and soybean oil
• Lower-sodium ingredients - lower-sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce and seasonings are used across all Healthier Choice preparation
• Beverages: all drinks served with our healthier menus meet Nutri-Grade A or B standards (<=5g sugar per 100ml), with hot beverages served without added sugar
• Wholegrains where applicable: brown rice and wholemeal options are incorporated into healthier menus where the dish allows

It is worth noting that these standards apply specifically to our Healthier Choice menu range, not our full catering menu. This is intentional. Healthier cooking requires higher-quality raw ingredients and more careful preparation, which is why our Healthier Choice menus are priced at a premium compared to our standard menus. You are paying for a genuine difference in how the food is made.

When Do You Actually Need HPB-Certified Catering?

Not every corporate event requires HPB compliance, but some situations make it essential:

• Events held on government premises: government agencies are required under the Whole-of-Government Healthier Food and Beverage Policy to ensure all food served meets HPB standards. Vendors supplying food to these premises must be able to declare compliance. Makan Mate has provided catering and signed compliance declarations for events held at the National Stadium and the Prime Minister's Office
• Healthcare and hospital events: institutions like NHG, IHH, Gleneagles, Mount Elizabeth and National Skin Centre, all of whom we have served, hold food to a higher standard given their environment and patient-facing culture
• Corporate wellness programmes: companies running HPB-aligned wellness initiatives for their staff, or organisations that have made public commitments to employee health, benefit from being able to tell their teams the lunch they are eating meets national health standards
• Schools and educational institutions: HPB guidelines are embedded in how many schools manage food procurement for staff events and functions

Why HPB Compliance is Harder Than it Looks

Switching to healthier cooking is not simply a matter of using less oil. Flavour has to be rebuilt from the ground up. Lower-sodium soy sauce tastes different from regular soy sauce. Brown rice has a different texture and cooking time than white rice. Healthier oils behave differently at high heat. Our kitchen team has spent years refining our Healthier Choice menus so that they taste genuinely good, not like a compromise. The goal is always food that your colleagues actually enjoy, not food that merely ticks a compliance box.

Ordering Healthier Choice Catering for Your Next Event

Whether you need to meet a government compliance requirement or simply want to offer your team a cleaner, lighter meal, our Healthier Choice range covers buffet, mini buffet and bento options, all prepared to HPB standards.

Contact our team to discuss your event requirements and we will recommend the right menu for your needs. WhatsApp: +65 9362 0073 or +65 8128 8368 Call: +65 6264 2233 ext 10-123

Browse our Healthier Choice menus at makanmate.com/catering-menu/healthier-choice