30% revenue jump in 3 years, zero food wastage: How one standard helped this S’pore firm to grow

Branded Content30% revenue jump in 3 years, zero food wastage: How one standard helped this S’pore firm to growJurong Cold Store used to throw out nearly five tonnes of spoiled food every year but adopting new SOPs changed that – and enabled it to land a Japanese sushi chain client and a second bigger facilityCo-founder and director of Jurong Cold Store Belinda Lee (pictured with facility manager Yee Seng) credits a cold chain standard with transforming the company’s operations and opening doors to more international clients. PHOTO: SPH MEDIAPublished Jun 30, 2026, 04:00 AMSet as preferred sourceSoggy bread. Melted ice cream, refrozen.

Temperature lapses at Jurong Cold Store (JCS) once meant losing between four and five pallets – up to 5 tonnes – of food.According to the home-grown cold chain logistics company, it has eliminated food wastage entirely, after adopting a Singapore Standard (SS) governing the handling, storage, and transportation of chilled and frozen food.Belinda Lee, who co-founded JCS with her husband Lee Weng Wah in 1998, says: “We used to have at least 5 per cent wastage a year.

Any wastage, for us, is a problem.”For a cold chain logistics operator, wastage was not just about lost product – there were also disposal costs to pay, and it could also mean losing customer confidence in its reliability.More on this topicFrom start-up to HK IPO: How global standards drove S’pore biomedical firm’s expansionHow standards keep everyday life in Singapore running smoothlyIntroduced in 2020, SS 668 sets out requirements for the temperature control, handling, storage and transportation of chilled and frozen food.

For JCS, adopting the standard in 2021 with support from Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) through the Enterprise Development Grant meant rethinking every step of the cold chain – from the moment a container arrived at the loading bay and how goods were transported between cold rooms and warmer environments, to warehouse storage practices and last-mile delivery schedules to restaurants and supermarkets.“Now, we never have to throw anything away,” says Lee, who currently serves as a director at JCS.Inside the goods receiving zone, or anteroom, at Jurong Cold Store, where Singapore Standard (SS) 668 limits transfer times for chilled and frozen goods to just 30 minutes..

PHOTO: JURONG COLD STORETo Lee, SS 668 put into writing what she had always known – that controlling temperature and timing at every stage was the difference between food that arrived fresh and food that did not.In the heat, bacteria multiply rapidly the moment cold chain discipline slips – a pallet left too long in a loading bay, a truck that had not been pre-cooled before loading, a transfer that took more than 30 minutes.For JCS, which operates a high-density fully automated cold storage facility capable of handling 15,000 pallets, SS 668 gave the team a clear framework to follow.

“If you’re not carefully controlling, and monitoring the temperature and the timing at every stage, bacteria will grow quickly and spoil the food,” says Lee.A staff member checks that temperatures hold at minus 18 deg C in delivery trucks – a requirement Jurong Cold Store enforces across its operations since adopting SS 668. PHOTO: SPH MEDIASS 668 is one of many standards developed under the Singapore Standards Council, which EnterpriseSG oversees.

The council brings together industry players, regulators and academics to translate ground-level expertise into practical frameworks that businesses can follow.Choy Sauw Kook, director-general for quality and excellence at EnterpriseSG says: “Besides encouraging companies to adopt standards, we invest significant effort in continuously reviewing existing standards and identifying emerging areas where new standards are required. This contributes to a robust ecosystem that supports business growth.”

How trust in Singapore Standards led to business growthWhile JCS’ operations had already met temperature control best practices before adopting the standard, SS 668 pushed the company to strengthen other processes along its delivery fleet and cold rooms.It introduced sensors and data recording systems, tightened handling times at transfer points and strictly monitored how long goods spent moving between cold rooms and warmer environments.Staff pick and pack goods at the staging area before dispatch, ensuring each delivery is consolidated by destination to minimise time spent outside cold storage.

PHOTO: SPH MEDIAThe change brought about results quickly. On top of eliminating food wastage, JCS saw an end to freezer and chiller breakdowns, since equipment irregularities could now be caught before they escalated.The sensors and data recording systems they installed to meet SS 668 requirements meant real-time monitoring of all zones – problems were flagged earlier, eliminating the need for emergency repairs and unplanned downtime.

In the first three months alone after adopting the standard, the company saved $50,000.St