World Conquest of the Sweetest Kind

A farmer climbing up the coconut tree to tap the coconut flower buds

Out of the Land of the Hornbills comes some sweet surprises – in the form of coconut sugar and palm sugar pioneered as an alternative to refined sugar or artificial sweeteners by Kit Hin Co Sdn Bhd. 

Coconut palm nectar - a myriad of health benefits

Nectar of Gods

Palm sugar is obtained by harvesting the sap of the coconut palm flower. Every day, a farmer will climb up the tree to collect the sap in bamboo tubes. The sap attracts a lot of bees which also play a part in the ecosystem through pollination. 

The collected sap will then be filtered before being boiled for 3-4 hours to allow evaporation of excess water. What remains is coconut palm sugar which is golden brown in colour.  

The quality of the sap depends on the weather. All in all, palm sugar contains no artificial additives or preservatives.

Most of the famous desserts in Malaysia such as ‘Nyonya kueh’ and Sarawak’s famed three-layer tea use palm sugar which gives them a caramel flavour. It also fares better in terms of health by retaining some minerals and having a low glycemic index (GI). 

Nipah palm from which the palm nectar (neera) is extracted

Dominant Player

Started out as a cottage industry in 1988, Kit Hin is now the biggest producer of both types of sugar in Sarawak. The state is blessed with an abundance of palm and coconut trees, especially along its long coast. Other coconut products include coconut nectar, coconut oil, and organic coconut sugar paste. 

It is the dominant player in the coconut palm sugar industry in the last 20 years while in the overseas market, it has penetrated Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Europe. 

Kit Hin is the exclusive supplier for Tealive Malaysia’s latest offering, Gula Aren Boba or milk tea which proudly announces its origin as ‘natural Borneo palm sugar’.

Coconut palm sugar is a natural, unrefined sweetener with a low glycemic index

International Standards

Mostly grown in tropical wetlands, the coconut palm processed by Kit Hin is grown in its own farm in Borneo where no pesticides are used. The company also works closely with more than 300 farmers – where it practises fair trade with them. 

From farm to table, the process has been standardised in compliance with international food certification requirements such as HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), and moving forward to FSSC recognition.

In 2019, Kit Hin was appointed by the government to spearhead the Coconut Palm Sugar industry in Sarawak. It plans to: 

1. Support the local community by providing technical support and Procurement of Coconut Nipah Palm collected with an assurance of 100% Buy Back Guarantee from local farmers

2. Provide an Intelligent solution for Nipa Forest Ecosystem

3. Set up a Fully Integrated Supply Chain – Practising from Tree to Table concept
   
   

Earlier this year, Kit Hin collaborated with the Sarawak Heart Centre to conduct a GI test on coconut palm sugar versus refined white sugar. Coconut palm sugar has a GI score of 49.3 compared to 62.4, that of refined white sugar. According to the American Diabetes Association, a GI score of 55 or under is considered low. 

Contact Us:

KIT HIN COMPANY SDN BHD 
Yan Kwan Industries Estate, Sublot 19-23, Lot 99 & 145: Knld, Jalan Batu Kitang, 93250 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia 

Tel: +6010-9821 678 / +6013-8393 268 
Email: audrey@kithin.com
Contact: Ms Audrey Lai
Website: www.kithin.com