A Uniquely Singapore Dog Treat!

From Hainanese Chicken Rice to Kong Ba Bao, every die-hard Singaporean can identify with these flavours. Now, for the first time, they are available for our four-legged fur-kids too!
Eileen Chan 28 October 2020



SINGAPORE: From Hainanese Chicken Rice to Chicken Coin Bak Kwa and Kong Ba Bao, every die-hard Singaporean can identify with these flavours. Now, for the first time, they are available for our four-legged fur-kids too!

“Burp!” a house brand, launched by Pet Lovers Centre (PLC) in 1996, will be the flagship bearer for all these uniquely Singapore flavoured products. Burp will add a total of 10 of these newly created delights to its already well-established range of pet food. Under the Singapore Delights banner, there will be seven flavours to tantalise your pooch and a further three under its Healthier Choice range. 

Product Development

The premise is simple: Delicious local delights are in our everyday lives, so why can't our fur-kids enjoy them too? With that in mind, Elfin Wu, the supplier management (product development) manager at PLC proposed the concept and pushed through the development of the product range.

Elfin Wu, the supplier management (product development) manager at PLC: “This is the premium range and we would like to pamper our fur kids with better quality ingredients."

“Many local delights are like comfort food, it warms our soul,” said Ms Wu. “Hainanese chicken rice is one of my favourite dishes, and I’m sure, many of the locals could say the same. How cool is that, if there is a pet-friendly Hainanese chicken rice recipe?”

In addition, her aspiration to buy souvenirs for friends and family when travelling added impetus to the idea. Ms Wu, a Taiwanese, thought: “It would be a great choice as a souvenir or present too.”

Human-food grade meat is used in the production of the food items as it offers a higher quality compared to the pet-food grade ingredients. “This is the premium range and we would like to pamper our fur kids with better quality ingredients,” said Ms Wu. 

And, in keeping with the Burp! ideals, the recipes are formulated without any of the bad stuff eg: artificial colouring, preservatives, corn or meat meal, and the range is made without pork/lard. She added: “For example, the Dong Po Rou is made with chicken and lamb jerky instead of pork belly. It’s leaner and healthier for dogs.”

Safety First

The development of PLC’s latest product took about a year to plan, execute and fulfil. Ms Wu said: “We choose our partners carefully. Our partner for this range is the International Featured Standard (IFS) food certified and BRC global standard for food safety certified company, located in China”

Suitable for all dog sizes, large or small, the fun and novel product would certainly give shoppers pause for thought. The resealable packaging itself is eye-catching enough with easily identifiable suggestions (eg: a plate of chicken rice). To ensure its freshness and safety, the entire content after packaging is passed through a food irradiation process. But that’s not all. As the treats are free from preservatives, each pack comes with a deoxidizer to effectively isolate oxygen, and prevent the growth of bacteria while in storage.

Customers will be able to get their hands on the products in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, once the pre-import product registration is completed and approved by the respective authorities, in the not-too-distant future.

Ms Christine Tan, senior marketing manager, Pet Lovers Centre said: “Many pet parents wish that their fur kids could also enjoy local delights, such as bak kua, Hainanese chicken rice or kong bak pao, without jeopardising their health. Today, we are pleased to be able to make their wishes come true with our new range of Singapore-inspired pet food. True to our brand (Burp!), we are quite sure that this first-of-its-kind pet food will make any fur kid burp with delight and satisfaction!”

In total there are 10 different flavours in the offering: Under the Singapore Delights section, there are seven, while its Healthier Choice has three varieties. Look out for it in a Pet Lovers Centre near you.

Singapore Delights:

1.      Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball
2.      Chicken Coin Bak Kwa
3.      Duck Coin Bak Kwa
4.      Spiral Cookie (made with Chicken & Codfish)
5.      Ice Cream Sandwich (made with Chicken & Codfish)
6.      Dong Po Rou (made with Chicken & Lamb)
7.      Kong Ba Bao (made with Rawhide & Chicken)

Healthier Choice: 

1.      Mini Fish Sausage
2.      Grilled Chicken Nugget
3.      Sweet Potato Chips

In total there are 10 different flavours in the offering: Under the Singapore Delights section, there are seven, while its Healthier Choice has three varieties.