There are many attempts by local Malaysian SMEs to transform favourite Malaysian ethnic cuisines and delicacies into RTE/RTC meals. Most of the time, the end-products have several issues like short shelf life, poor packaging or issues in finding the right mix of raw materials to create a product similar to its fresh counterparts.
Ethnic Malay RTE/RTC Meals have enormous potential for growth if enough R&D efforts are expended to understand the product stability from time of manufacturing till its expiry date. Often, such products lose its texture and rich taste before its expiry date due to unsuitable ingredients, packaging or external factors like climate, storage, product handling or even due to poor packaging instructions on how to defrost/prepare/heat the food before consumption.
AFBR visit to Selangor International F&B 2025 event in Kuala Lumpur in October last year saw a large number of traditional food products displayed for retail sales or for food services. One of them is Sedia Lemang, a traditional Malay food made from glutinous rice, coconut milk and salt eaten with beef or chicken rendang made from a complex combination of spices, herbs and coconut milk. Sedia Lemang is a product of AL Taj Food Marketing & Services Sdn Bhd. The company has created a product which can be stored in ambient temperature with shelf life of 2 years.
Prior to this, Lemang has been a ‘highly valued’ festive delicacy and mainly served during the Eid Fitr festive period, but now it can be enjoyed regularly at all times as a RTE product. This product however has still not been exported and limited to just domestic consumption.
According to Tajul Ariffin, CEO of AL Taj Food Marketing & Services Sdn Bhd, “The reason Sedia Lemang is introduced to the market is due to difficulties to get and enjoy Lemang with extended shelf life duration. Usually, Lemang will be stale 2 or 3 days after cooking, but with Sedia Lemang, the life span becomes longer and the stale problems have been resolved. Moreover, the freshness of our Lemang can still be felt although the product shelf life has reached 2 years.”
Currently, the company has a recommended selling price for its signature Lemang with Beef and Chicken Rendang in 240g packaging at only RM15 – RM20 (US$3.70 to US$4.93) per packaging. To prepare, simply boil the bag in the packaging for up to 15 minutes. Judging by the difficulties in finding such ready products in the market, the price is certainly very attractive. Mr Ariffin added that Sedia Lemang can be modified with different sizes and filling with different meats or nuts while packaging type can be further improved to meet varying market demands or to cater to the younger generations.
Target consumers are those who value authentic and traditional cuisines transformed into RTE/RTC meals. The product is also suitable for travelers who prioritize on halal food when traveling abroad especially to non-muslim countries, or who need to celebrate special festive occasions away from their home countries.
The company’s plan is to initially expand its market across Southeast Asia like Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and South Thailand where Lemang is a common traditional food and a star menu during Eid Fitr festival. Sedia Lemang can also be introduced as a breakfast menu.
Currently, the company is planning to increase its production to meet growing demand by acquiring new machines for its plant which also has a Mesti (Food Safety) and Halal certification. It will also be earning a GMP certification soon.
In general, the future for ethnic Malay RTE/RTC meals is extremely bright once the issues surrounding its production, quality, shelf life and packaging/food preparation is fully solved attracting consumers who enjoy ‘rarely-available’ rich ethnic cuisines passed over many generations.
