Snacking is woven into daily life in Malaysia, filling travel stops, home kitchens and festive gatherings with familiar flavors. The preserved fruit and nut segment, once driven by small family makers, has grown into a steady category for consumers seeking dependable taste and freshness.
As expectations for safety, Halal assurance and better packaging rise, the market now leans toward producers who can respect long-loved recipes while meeting modern standards. This shift sets the stage for a journey shaped over decades.
Against this familiar landscape of taste and tradition, one small venture found its purpose. The story of Desa Southern Food Products began as a modest family venture in the south, formed around a simple wish: to offer reliable, tasty and affordable preserved fruits, nuts and dried fruit products to households across the country.
The founders noticed a gap in quality and supply among traditional producers and stepped in with the aim of protecting Malaysia’s snacking culture while improving it through better processes and full Halal compliance. What started small now reaches convenience stores, provision shops, hypermarkets and supermarkets nationwide, growing steadily as demand expanded.
Craft Built on Values and Experience
Chen Qi Ch’ng, Chief Operating Officer, Desa Southern Food Products says, “Our Company is guided by a set of values known as CHARGE. These values determine the daily working of the team, such as putting consumers and customers first, being humble and practicing integrity”. Agility and innovation ensure that the organization is responsive, whereas responsibility and collaboration enhance teamwork.
The idea of moving from good to great encourages progress, and embracing change ensures readiness for new challenges. These values guide its mission, which includes expanding product visibility, driving innovation, shifting toward a marketing-based model, building stronger training programs and achieving long-term, sustainable growth.
As the company grew, it faced the pain points that customers often encounter. Most experienced inconsistent quality from smaller suppliers, poor packaging, reduced shelf life, unreliable stock movement and limited variety. Increasing prices made it even harder.
In this environment, Halal compliance became just as important as taste, making control over ingredients and processes essential.
The company responded with strict quality and food safety systems and controlled by own designated Quality Assurance and Operation’s team, steady supply planning supported by internal software, improved packaging to preserve freshness and ongoing product development through its R&D team. “Automated production lines and in-house testing helps in maintain consistency, while new flavors and healthier options are expanding the range of products”, Chen Qi notes.
Its offerings now stretch across five brands. Sweet and Sour remains the most familiar, featuring classic preserved fruits like plum, mango and papaya. Crispy and Crunchy focuses on traditional nuts such as peanuts, broad beans and green peas. Southern highlights premium dried fruits, while O’Genki introduces baked nuts and seeds for those who prefer a wholesome healthier bite.
The Syokkk! line brings playful flavors to the shelf. Alongside these brands, the company also supports well-known private-label clients in which included the major local and international retailers, providing repacking and self-manufacturing services that require tight planning and dependable quality.
A Legacy Passed Forward
Behind these products is a combination of family tradition and professional wisdom. The former generation offered several decades of practical experience in production and market dynamics. Those skills were a strong foundation on which the second generation has developed. The new leadership focuses on strategic planning, process enhancement and brand-focused growth.
With a deeper understanding of the FMCG space, the sales and marketing team revitalizes the brand direction and expands its reach. R&D specialists extend the portfolio by looking into vacuum or freeze-dried food items. The quality and operations teams support the company’s progression from ISO 9001 to HACCP and now FSSC 22000, strengthening its alignment with Malaysian food standards and enhancing Halal readiness at every step.
Our Company is guided by a set of values known as CHARGE, which determine the daily working of the team, such as putting consumers and customers first, being humble and practicing integrity
This consistent growth is reflected in customer reactions. Many describe the preserved fruits as fresh and flavorful, often recalling familiar tastes from childhood. Retail partners appreciate supply reliability and regularity of each batch, which contributes to their planning.
The bold nuts under Syokkk! tend to have repeat buyers, whereas O’Genki is praised for freshness and modern packaging. Private-label partners highlight the company’s ability to think ahead and maintain smooth production without compromising standards.
Shaping the Next Chapter
Moving forward, Desa Southern Food Products is preparing for greater regional expansion. Its vision now includes neighboring Asian markets, supported by stronger OEM and ODM capabilities. Packaging lines are being updated to fit various formats. Healthier product development continues with lower-sugar preserved fruits and premium nut mixes.
Digitization across the supply chain, along with early exploration of AI tools, is expected to strengthen planning and efficiency. As it moves into the future, the focus remains on building a brand that connects with both long-time fans and the next generation of snack lovers, while keeping Halal integrity as a fundamental part of its identity.
Chen Qi Ch’ng, COO, Desa Southern Food Products
Chen Qi Ch’ng, Chief Operating Officer of Desa Southern Food Products, drives operational excellence, strategic expansion, and innovation across the company. With over 14 years of hands-on experience from the production floor to senior management, she understands every stage of food manufacturing. Combining family heritage with professional expertise, she focuses on building a values-driven organization, strengthening quality systems, and developing future-ready products and talent.
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