SALMON from Norway, Spanish salami and French pate are just some of the niche food products that are not coming into Singapore after flights out of Europe were suspended.
And the drying up of supply has sent local importers into a tailspin.
Mr Philippe Vo, managing director of Classic Fine Foods which supplies European products to hundreds of restaurants and stores in Singapore, said he has lost thousands of dollars since the volcanic ash plume in Iceland blanketed large parts of Europe.
Mr Vo, who imports fresh products like salmon from Scotland, Camembert cheese from France and Italian tomatoes, said shipments are stuck in Europe.
'Restaurants are switching to other sources, and we have lost revenue,' said Mr Vo, who imports up to 5 tonnes of these premium products daily.
Asked if he could import products from elsewhere instead, he said: 'These products don't exist in other countries. We just have to wait, we are patient.'
