POPULAR luncheon meat brands Maling and Narcissus are fast disappearing from supermarket shelves and the impact on food sellers is big.

From the nasi lemak seller to the aunty selling sandwiches, everyone's feeling the pinch.

Prices of luncheon meat have been on the rise since August when the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) rejected and destroyed a consignment of canned pork products from two food processing plants in China.

They contained a cancer-causing agent.

AVA spokesman Goh Shih Yong said that brands like Maling and Narcissus are affected by the suspension.

Madam Anna Chye, whose $1.10 luncheon meat sandwiches used to be a favourite with the office crowd at her eatery in Apollo Centre, has given up selling them.The cans used to cost around $1, but went up to close to $3.

At first, she tried using thinner slices of luncheon meat from Maling. One can of luncheon meat used to be cut into seven slices, but she started cutting them into 10.

The result? Customers complained that the sandwiches were not as delicious.

So, two months ago, Madam Chye, 45, took luncheon meat sandwiches off the menu. She now sells only ham, tuna and chicken floss sandwiches.

For other businesses, however, removing luncheon meat from the menu is out of the question. So vendors are cutting thinner slices from each can.

Mr Chen Swee Xiang, 20, a helper at a nasi lemak and bee hoon stall in Toa Payoh, said they used to cut the pork from one can into 10 slices. Now, they cut it into 14 slices.

They now pay $70 for a carton of Shanghai Mei Ling brand luncheon meat which used to cost $50.

But don't customers complain after paying $2 for the nasi lemak?

A beaming Mr Chen said: 'They don't complain. In fact, we are selling even more because they can't get luncheon meat elsewhere.'

Small businesses are not the only ones affected by the shortage of luncheon meat.

A spokesman for Crystal Jade said that the restaurant is thinking of either revamping its menu, or looking for other brands of luncheon meat. Hong Kong Cafe operations manager, Mr Kwong Wai Kit, 32, said the cafe has replaced luncheon meat with ham and eggs.

The Luncheon Meat Fan Club on Facebook (yes, there is one) is buzzing.

Mr Jeremy Tan, 31, an independent financial advisor who belongs to the group, posted on a forum: 'Will black market luncheon meat be all the rage now? I guess our nearest source would be JB supermarkets.'

Mr Bernard Soh, 36, a systems analyst, is also a member of the group. He sais he would avoid the affected brands for the moment.

But not everyone's unhappy.

Ms Yvonne Yeo, 35, product manager of Tulip brand luncheon meat from Denmark, which costs $3 a can, said its luncheon meat had run out by the end of October.

Ms Yeo said: 'We have never sold out on luncheon meat before our next shipment arrived.'

Ms Sharon Lee, 27, trade and market executive for Spam, a US luncheon meat brand which costs $5, also said that it had sold all its stock by 3 Dec.

Both are tripling orders from their suppliers.

So will we ever see Maling and Narcissus brands again?

An AVA spokesman said: 'Food processing plants will be able to resume exports of canned pork products when it meets AVA's food safety standards which are in line with international standards.'

This article first appeared in The New Paper on 7 Dec 2007.