HPB shows just how salty Singapore has gotten

The Health Promotion Board has unveiled a retro-inspired film asking Singaporeans to reclaim their taste buds, and in the process, rediscover the authentic flavours of the city’s food.

The campaign, titled "Salt buries true flavours", highlights how excessive sodium consumption has dulled local palates. Created in collaboration with TBWA\Singapore, the film follows Tung Yan, whose ancestors stage a playful three-week intervention from beyond the grave to help him reset his taste buds. They offer practical tips such as choosing lower-sodium options, cutting back on sauces, and debunking myths such as gourmet salts being healthier or drinking water ‘flushing out’ excess salt.

It opens with Tung Yan seasoning a dish, piling on salt, and startling his ancestors. They awaken him from his sleep, insisting he “honour” his tongue for the next three weeks. In "Week one: Be choosy not salty", Tung Yan visits a supermarket to buy salt. When his friend suggests a lower-sodium option, one ancestor chimes in, advising him to look for the healthier choice symbol on packaging.

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"Week two: Don’t drown with sauce" shows Tung Yan about to slather his meal in sauce. His friend reminds him that water won’t flush out excess salt, prompting his ancestor to intervene and keep the sauce in check. By "Week three: Play with flavours", Tung Yan has cut back on salt while cooking, allowing him to fully taste and enjoy his dish, proving that a three-week reset can make a noticeable difference.

The campaign comes amid an alarming trend: Singapore residents are consuming an average of 3,600mg of sodium daily, nearly double the World Health Organization’s recommendation of less than 2,000mg. The HPB notes that taste receptor cells regenerate approximately every 10 to 14 days, meaning that a three-week reduction in sodium intake could help reset dulled taste buds.

To make the problem tangible, "Salt buries true flavours" also features "The gallery of hidden salt", an immersive art installation at Orchard MRT linkway running from 26 February to 25 March. Three artists reveal hidden sodium in everyday meals through provocative expressions: John Knuth enlists flies to paint excess salt, Gong Hua sculpts salt into stark white cubes, and Niceaunties imagines invasive creatures colonising hawker favourites.

The campaign also features key visuals of popular Singaporean dishes such as nasi padang ('mixed rice'), chicken rice and briyani, each flooded with sauce and salt. Taglines such as “Curry with a splash of nasi padang”, “Soy sauce with a drizzle of chicken rice”, and “Salt with a pinch of briyani” make the overconsumption of sodium immediately visible and memorable.

The campaign is complemented by a practical three-week guide from HPB, providing actionable ways for consumers to reduce sodium intake both at home and when dining out.

With one in three Singaporeans suffering from hypertension, the initiative aims to nudge behaviour change while preserving the city’s culinary heritage. "Salt buries true flavours" invites everyone to reset their taste buds, enjoy healthier meals, and rediscover the true taste of Singapore.

“The insight that guided us was simple yet powerful. It opened the door for a creative approach that empowers, not lectures. From 'The gallery of hidden salt' to our campaign film, 'Salt buries true flavours' turns the science of taste into experiences Singapore residents can see, feel, and relate to. Together, they show that reducing salt is not a sacrifice, but a path to rediscovering the flavours that were always there." said Loo Yong Ping, executive creative director, TBWA\Singapore.

The campaign builds on HPB’s previous efforts to raise awareness around public health. Last June, the board launched "Don't let vaping toy with your life", a campaign highlighting the harms of vaping. Central to it was a 60-second video featuring three young adults watching a livestream from “VapeyGaga,” a masked content creator who introduced dolls representing health risks such as “addicted brain,” “popcorn lungs,” and “diseased heart.”

HPB also rolled out character-focused videos, eye-catching social posts, and strategically placed out-of-home billboards and posters across Singapore to amplify the message, showing the board’s continued focus on creative, visually-driven public health campaigns.

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