Food Import & Export

Conditions to Import Meat & Meat Products

Please follow these steps to ensure that conditions are met prior to the import of meat and meat products. For more information, you may refer to the Wholesome Meat and Fish (Import, Export and Transhipment) Rules.

1. Import from approved sources

Meat and meat products can only be imported from SFA-approved sources. Please use our database to search for approved overseas establishments.

As the list of approved countries/regions and establishments are subject to change, please check before importing meat and meat products into Singapore. To find out more about the latest suspensions of source countries or establishments, refer to SFA’s Circulars.

2. Meet all veterinary conditions

Only meat and meat products that meet SFA's veterinary conditions are allowed for import. Please refer to the documents below for details:

• Veterinary conditions for the importation of beef and beef products
• Veterinary import conditions pork and pork products
• Veterinary conditions for the importation of poultry and poultry product

3. Obtain a health certificate

Each import consignment must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the competent authority of the exporting country. This is to certify that your imports comply with Singapore's animal health and food safety requirements.

4. Ensure food labels are accurate and complete

Every carton and basic packaging unit of your imported meat or meat product must be labelled with the following:

• Description of the meat product
• Country of origin of the meat product
• Brand name of the meat product, if any
• Name and designation number of the processing establishment, if applicable
• Date on which the meat product was processed
• In the case of a processed meat product, the name and designation number of the slaughterhouse in which the animals used in the production of such meat product were slaughtered and the date of the slaughter
• Name and designation number of the establishment in which, and the date on which, the meat product was packed
• Batch number and, where the meat product was canned, the canning code
• Net weight of meat product in each basic packaging and outer carton

Conditions to Import Eggs & Egg Products

Please follow these steps to ensure that conditions are met prior to the import of eggs and egg products.

Fresh eggs 

1. Import from approved sources

• Australia (includes free-range eggs)
• Brunei
• Denmark (includes free-range eggs)
• Finland
• Ireland (includes free-range eggs)
• Japan 
• Malaysia, West (Chicken Eggs)
• Malaysia, West (Quail Eggs)
• The Netherlands
• New Zealand (includes free-range eggs)
• Poland
• Spain
• Sweden 
• Korea
• Thailand (Chicken Eggs)
• Thailand (Quail Eggs)
• Ukraine
• USA

Note that each consignment of fresh eggs must be derived from a single farm.

As the list of approved countries and farms are subject to change, please check before importing fresh eggs into Singapore.

2. Meet all veterinary conditions

All imported eggs must comply with the conditions stated in the relevant Veterinary Conditions documents:

• Veterinary conditions for importation of table eggs
• Veterinary conditions for the importation of pasteurised shell eggs

3. Obtain a veterinary health certificate

Each import consignment must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate issued by the relevant veterinary authority of the exporting country. The certificate must be dated within 7 days of import. 

Processed eggs

1. Import from approved sources

Processed eggs can only be imported from SFA-approved sources. Please use our database to search for approved overseas food establishments.

As the list of approved establishments is subject to change, please check before importing processed eggs into Singapore.

2. Meet all veterinary conditions

Only egg products that meet SFA's veterinary conditions are allowed for import. Please refer to the document below for details.

• Veterinary conditions for the importation of egg products
  
  

3. Obtain a health certificate

Each import consignment must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the competent authority of the exporting country. This is to certify that your imports comply with Singapore's animal health and food safety requirements.

Conditions to Import Fish & Fish Products

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Generally, you can import fish and fish products from any country or region without obtaining a health certificate. However, restrictions and conditions apply for: 

• Items classified as high-risk products; and
• Fish species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Please follow these steps to ensure that conditions are met prior to the import of fish and fish products.  For more information, you may refer to the Wholesome Meat and Fish (Import, Export and Transhipment) Rules. 

1. Comply with the rules on high-risk products 

2. Obtain CITES permits for CITES listed species

If you are importing fish species listed under CITES (whole fish and all parts or derivatives), the following are required:

• a CITES import permit from NParks, and
• a CITES export/re-export permit from your country or region of export 

Your imports must be accompanied by these permits. Below are the fish species listed under CITES:

Conditions to Import Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

Fresh fruits and vegetables can be imported from any country provided they meet SFA’s conditions. Fresh fruits and vegetables refer to raw and unprocessed fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables which have undergone some processing such as cutting, peeling, canning and freezing are regulated as processed food (To hyperlink to the conditions to import processed food and food appliances section).

Please follow these steps to ensure that conditions are met prior to the import of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

1. Ensure the produce abides to the Control of Plants Rules

According to the Control of Plants (Import & Transshipment of Fresh Fruits & Vegetables) Rules, imported fresh fruits and vegetables must not contain:

• any prohibited pesticide, or
• levels of pesticide residue or toxic chemical residue exceeding the prescribed levels specified in the Ninth Schedule of the Food Regulations or recommended in the Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission.

2. Ensure labels are accurate and complete

Please ensure that the containers (e.g. cartons, baskets, etc.) of the produce are labelled with the following:

• Name and address of the producer
• Product description
• Date of export/packing

Conditions to Import Processed Food & Food Appliances

Processed food and food appliances can be imported from any country or region as long as the imports meet SFA’s conditions.

Please follow these steps to ensure that conditions are met prior to the import of processed food and food appliances.

1. Import from regulated establishments

Regulated Source Programme

A regulated source programme aims to ensure the safety of high-risk products. For such processed food products, they must be manufactured in an establishment which:

• is under proper supervision of the food authority of the exporting country or region, or
• has a quality assurance programme acceptable to SFA.

Documentary proof that the imported products are produced under sanitary conditions in a regulated establishment is required.  This documentation must be submitted to SFA if you import the following food products:

The following are some examples of regulated source documents that SFA accepts as documentary proof:

• Certificate of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point)
• Certificate of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)
• Health Certificate issued by competent food or veterinary authority of exporting country or region
• Attestation of export issued by competent food or veterinary authority of exporting country or region
• Factory licence issued by regulatory authority of the exporting country or region

Importers of food products not listed in the table above are advised to maintain similar source documentation and produce them when requested by SFA.

How to submit documentary proof

Enhanced Regulated Source Programme

The Enhanced Regulated Source Programme aims to safeguard the safety of processed food products imported from Malaysia.  The categories of products include:

• Infant formula
• Infant cereal
• Traditional cakes/kueh kueh, cooked rice products and other perishable cooked food*
• Mooncakes
• Dried beancurd sticks, skin and sheets
• Edible oil 

*Ready to eat products only. Frozen and/or uncooked products are currently excluded. For more information, see Examples of Traditional Cakes (Kueh Kueh), Cooked Rice Products and Other Perishable Cooked Food.

To import food products covered under this programme, the products must be obtained from Malaysian food manufacturing establishments that have been registered with the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH).

Before importing the products, please:

• submit the relevant documentary proof; and
• follow procedures during import permit declaration.

How to submit documentary proof

What to do at the point of import permit declaration

If you require any clarification on the list of Malaysian food manufacturing establishments registered with MOH Malaysia, please contact MOH Malaysia at the contact details provided below.

Export Branch

Food Safety & Quality Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia

(Attn: Ms Norshafawati Binti Rosli)

Tel: +60-03-8885 0797 ext 4074

Email: norshafawati@moh.gov.my

Supplier Registration for Infant Cereal Products (Voluntary Scheme)

From 27 March 2023, importers for infant cereal products who are able to meet the pre-import requirements under the voluntary scheme (Please see Import Requirements of Specific Food Products), may register their supplier with SFA. Importers under the voluntary scheme will be exempted from submission of laboratory reports of Aflatoxin B1 testing for every consignment during import permit application. Instead, they are allowed to maintain their own records of the supplier verification checks for periodic checks by SFA.

 

Steps to import under the voluntary scheme is as below:

1)    Verify that your suppliers* are able to meet the import conditions under voluntary scheme

2)    Register your suppliers with SFA

3)    Declare registered suppliers when applying for import permit

4)    Maintain proper documentations of all supplier verification checks

 

STEP	DESCRIPTION
STEP 1:	Verify that suppliers are able to meet the import conditions under the voluntary scheme (Refer to Import Requirements of Specific Food Products You may use the template supplier verification checklist to guide you in your supplier verification checks.
STEP 2:	Register your suppliers by submitting your supplier’s details via the registration form.  The following information is required for registration of your supplier: i Supplier’s details (country of origin, establishment name, number, address) ii List of products imported into Singapore from the supplier (brand, product description, packing size) iii Supporting documents of supplier verification checks   Upon successful registration, you will receive a unique establishment code (e.g. AUZGxxxx) for each registered supplier from SFA.
STEP 3:	Declare the supplier establishment code (obtained in Step 2) in your cargo clearance permit under the CA/SC Code 1 field in TradeNet, for each import of infant cereal products.
STEP 4:	Maintain documentation records of supplier verification checks (Step 1) which will be subjected to checks by SFA

^*Supplier can refer to manufacturer/ producer or consolidator. If the supplier is not the manufacturer/ producer of the imported food, the importer should ensure that relevant information is obtained either directly from the manufacturer/ producer or confirmation through the consolidator.

2. Send products to accredited laboratories for analysis

While not mandatory, you are encouraged to initiate quality control checks on the products you intend to import by sending them to accredited laboratories for analysis.

Please refer to the Singapore Accreditation Council-Singapore Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (SAC-SINGLAS) website for the list of accredited laboratories.

3. Submit required documents for high-risk products

Some processed food products are classified as high-risk. Additional documents such as health certificates and laboratory analysis reports, are required for such products when applying for an import permit.

Please see Import Requirements of Specific Food Products for the list of high-risk products and their requirements. 

4. Ensure food additives and ingredients are allowed by SFA

Under SFA’s Food Regulations, only certain food additives and ingredients are allowed in food. Please refer to Conditions related to Food Additives and Ingredients (To link to URL once new page is created) for more information.

5. Ensure labels are accurate and complete

All pre-packed food products for sale in Singapore should be labelled according to specified requirements. For more information on food labelling and advertisement, please see Labelling Guidelines for Food Importers and Manufacturers.

Conditions related to Novel Food

The production of novel food such as cultured meat and other alternative proteins for human consumption is nascent. As novel food does not have a history of being consumed as food, food safety must be the principal consideration when companies develop such products.

Before selling novel food in Singapore, please follow these steps:

1. Approach SFA for information required for review submission

   To ensure food safety, the novel food regulatory framework requires companies to seek pre-market allowance for novel food.  Food businesses are encouraged to consult SFA early in the product development process to understand the information required for submission to substantiate the safety of their novel food. Companies can contact SFA via our online feedback form.

   Interested companies can also attend SFA’s bi-monthly Novel Food Virtual Clinics for more information.  You may email SFA-NovelFoods@sfa.gov.sg to sign up

2. Submission of Safety Assessments

Companies producing novel food products are required to conduct and submit safety assessments of their products for SFA’s review before they are allowed for sale in Singapore.

The assessments cover potential food safety risks such as toxicity, allergenicity, safety of its production method, and dietary exposure arising from consumption.  Please refer to this document (last updated Apr 2022) for the required food safety information to be included in the application for novel food safety assessment. Before submission, please complete the respective self-assessment checklists below and include a screenshot of the acknowledgement received upon submission of the checklist.

• Self-assessment checklist for precision/biomass fermentation processes
• Self-assessment checklist for cell-based food companies

SFA will review these safety assessments to determine if potential food safety issues have been addressed. An evaluation of a novel food product will take an estimated 9-12 months upon the receipt of a complete application. No fees will be charged.

Conditions related to Food Additives & Ingredients

Before importing any food or food product, please ensure that all food additives and ingredients included in the product are permitted under SFA’s Food Regulations. 

Please refer to the following for more information: 

• List of Food Additives Permitted under the Singapore Food Regulations
• Food Additives Search function
• Guidance Information on Requirements for Use of Food Additives
• Ingredients Used in Food

• Record of food Ingredients assessed by SFA

• Chinese Medicinal Materials

• Chinese Medicinal Materials Search function

Conditions related to Genetically Modified Crops

Please follow these steps to ensure that conditions are met prior to the import of genetically modified (GM) crops.

1. Submit proposal to the Genetic Modification Advisory Committee of Singapore (GMAC)

   Genetically Modified (GM) crop developers who wish to import GM crops as food or food ingredients must first submit a proposal to the Genetic Modification Advisory Committee of Singapore (GMAC) for safety evaluation.

   Please refer to GMAC’s website for more information on the application process and submission of proposal.

2. Food Safety Evaluation by SFA

After GMAC has completed the evaluation and endorsed the application, SFA will consider GMAC’s recommendations and conduct further safety evaluation on the GM crop. 

SFA’s evaluation of the food product will be based on Codex’s “Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants”.

Please see the List of approved Genetically Modified Crops for use as food or as food ingredients in Singapore (PDF).

Information on the safety assessment of GM crops in other countries can be found on the FAO GM Foods Platform.