Import Requirements for Food & Food Products

What food or food products must meet the import requirements for Meat & Meat Products?

Imports classified as ‘Meat & Meat Products’ must meet the import requirements imposed on this category of food or food products. Examples of ‘Meat & Meat Products’ include, but are not limited to, fresh poultry and meats, pizza with meat toppings and barbequed meats (bak kwa).

To check if your food or food product falls under ‘Meat & Meat Products’, use the Food and Related Products Classification Tool. To learn more about the different categories of food and food products, see the Classification of General Food & Food Products.

Where can I find the import requirements for Meat & Meat Products?

The import requirements can be found in the Wholesome Meat and Fish (Import, Export and Transhipment) Rules.

You must comply with the import requirements before you apply for an import permit to bring Meat & Meat Products into Singapore.

Non-compliance can result in penalties under the prevailing food safety laws and regulations.

How do I comply with the import requirements for Meat & Meat Products?

eSPS Certificate

How do these import requirements ensure the food safety of Meat and Meat Products?

SFA adopts a science and risk-based approach to ensure that food is safe for consumption in Singapore. The requirements imposed ensures food safety and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. 

As meat has a higher risk of being contaminated with pathogens compared to processed food or vegetables, SFA requires all meat to be imported only from approved sources or accredited establishments. SFA also requires every consignment to be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate to ensure that your imports comply with Singapore's animal health and food safety requirements.

What food or food products must meet the import requirements for Eggs & Egg Products?

Food or food products classified as ‘Eggs & Egg Products’ such as shell eggs, salted eggs, liquid eggs, and omelettes must meet the import requirements imposed on this category of food or food products.

To check if your food or food product falls under ‘Eggs & Egg Products’, use the Food and Related Products Classification Tool. To learn more about the different categories of food and food products, see the Classification of General Food & Food Products.

When should I comply with these requirements for Eggs & Egg Products?

You must comply with these requirements before you apply for an import permit to bring Eggs & Egg Products into Singapore.

Non-compliance can result in penalties under the prevailing food safety laws and regulations.

How do I comply with the import requirements for Eggs & Egg Products?

How do these import requirements ensure the food safety of Eggs & Egg Products?

SFA adopts a science and risk-based approach to ensure that food is safe for consumption in Singapore. The requirements imposed ensure food safety and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. 

There is a risk of bacteria, known as Salmonella Enteritidis, in fresh eggs. To address the risks, SFA requires all eggs to be imported from approved sources. Approved sources have gone through an accreditation process. One of the accreditation criteria is that farms must be free from Salmonella Enteritidis.

In addition, every consignment must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate. Together with other measures (e.g. inspections carried out by SFA on imports), the import requirements make it safer for us to consume eggs and egg products.

What food or food products must meet the import requirements for Fish & Fish Products?

Food or food products classified as ‘Fish & Fish Products’, including types of seafood (e.g. live fish, canned tuna, crabs, prawns, sea cucumbers, and squids) must meet the import requirements imposed on this category of food or food products.

To check if your food or food product falls under ‘Fish & Fish Products’, use the Food and Related Products Classification Tool. To learn more about the different categories of food and food products, see the Classification of General Food & Food Products.

Where can I find the import requirements for Fish & Fish Products?

The import requirements for Fish and Fish products can be found in the Wholesome Meat and Fish (Import, Export and Transhipment) Rules.

You must comply with these requirements before you apply for an import permit to bring Fish & Fish Products into Singapore.

Non-compliance can result in penalties under the prevailing food safety laws and regulations.

How do I comply with the import requirements for Fish & Fish Products?

How do these import requirements ensure the food safety of Fish & Fish Products?

SFA adopts a science and risk-based approach to ensure that food is safe for consumption in Singapore. The requirements imposed ensure food safety and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. 

What food or food products must meet the import requirements for Fresh Fruits & Vegetables?

Food or food products classified as ‘Fresh Fruits & Vegetables’ include, but are not limited to, fresh apples, fresh durians, fresh potatoes, and raw ginger among others. Each import consignment must meet the requirements imposed on this category of food or food products.

To check if your food or food products fall under ‘Fresh Fruits & Vegetables’, use the Food and Related Products Classification Tool. For more information on the different categories of food and food products, see the Classification of General Food & Food Products.

Where can I find the import requirements for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables?

The import requirements can be found in the Control of Plants (Import & Transhipment of Fresh Fruits & Vegetables) Rules.

You must comply with these requirements before you apply for an import permit to bring Fresh Fruits & Vegetables into Singapore.

Non-compliance can result in penalties under the prevailing food safety laws and regulations.

How do I comply with the import requirements for Fresh Fruits & Vegetables?

How do these import requirements ensure the food safety of Fresh Fruits & Vegetables?

SFA adopts a science and risk-based approach to ensure that food is safe for consumption in Singapore. The requirements imposed ensure food safety and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. These requirements ensure that imported fresh fruits and vegetables are safe for consumption. 

For instance, the requirement to check the pesticides used and to ensure that it does not exceed the prevailing limits ensures that the imported consignments do not contain any prohibited pesticides which may be harmful when consumed.

The labelling requirements also provide consumers with the information to make informed choices. It also improves traceability in the event of food safety issues or recalls.

What food or food products must meet the import requirements for Processed Food & Food Appliances?

Food and related products classified as ‘Processed Food & Food Appliances’ include Processed Food such as biscuits, cooking oil and mineral water, as well as Food Appliances such as food ware (e.g. plates, bowls, cups) and utensils (e.g. chopsticks and spoons). Each import consignment must meet the import requirements imposed on this category of food, food products or products.

To check if your food or related product falls under ‘Processed Food & Food Appliances’, use the Food and Related Products Classification Tool. To learn more about the different categories of food and food products, see the Classification of General Food & Food Products.

Where can I find the import requirements for Processed Food & Food Appliances?

The import requirements are subject to prevailing food safety laws and regulations.

You must comply with these requirements before you apply for an import permit to bring Processed Food & Food Appliances into Singapore.

Non-compliance can result in penalties under the prevailing food safety laws and regulations.

How do I comply with the import requirements for Processed Food & Food Appliances?

Processed food and food appliances can be imported from any country or region as long as they meet SFA’s import requirements. However, higher-risk processed foods, like infant formulas and ready-to-eat food, are subject to more stringent import requirements under the Regulated Source Programme and the Enhanced Regulated Source Programme.

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

How do I comply with the import requirements for 'high-risk' processed food products under the Regulated Source Programme?

How do I comply with the import requirements for 'high-risk' processed food products under the Enhanced Regulated Source Programme?

Supplier Registration for Infant Cereal Products (Voluntary Scheme)

Under the Supplier Registration for Infant Cereal Products Voluntary Scheme, only manufacturers that have food safety management and assurance programmes, which ensure their food or food products comply with our food safety standards and laws, can be voluntarily registered.

Importers for infant cereal products who are able to meet the pre-import requirements under the voluntary scheme may register their suppliers 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. They will also be allowed to maintain their own records of the supplier verification checks for periodic checks by SFA.

You may register your supplier of infant cereal products under this scheme to be exempted from the submission of laboratory reports.
 To do so, follow the steps below: 

How do these import requirements ensure the food safety of Processed Food & Food Appliances?

SFA adopts a science and risk-based approach to ensure that food is safe for consumption in Singapore. The requirements imposed ensure food safety and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. Higher-risk processed foods, like infant formulas and ready-to-eat food, are subject to more stringent import requirements under the Regulated Source Programme and the Enhanced Regulated Source Programme.

The labelling requirements also provide consumers with the information to make informed choices. It also improves traceability in the event of food safety issues or recalls.

Guidelines to Import Insects & Insect Products

SFA’s priority is to ensure the safety of food consumed in Singapore. As the insect industry is nascent and insects are a new food item here, SFA has developed the insect regulatory framework, which puts in place guidelines for insects to be approved as food.

For imports of insects and insect products for human consumption, importers should register with SFA for the Registration to import processed food and food appliances. Insects and insect products may be imported from any country or region as long as the imported insect and insect products meet SFA’s guidelines.

The following guidelines will apply to the import of insects and insect products, depending on their intended purpose (i.e. production for human consumption or animal feed for food-producing animals).

HS and product codes for insect and insect products for human consumption can be found in Product Codes for Processed Food.

The overseas insect processing establishment, from which the insect and insect products (for human consumption) are sourced, should be registered with SFA with submission of supporting documents such as regulated source documents and Food Safety Management System/Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. This is a one-time registration. Please register by filling in the online form.

Rice

Rice is a controlled item under the Price Control Act (Chapter 244) and the Price Control (Rice) Order 1990 issued by the Minister for Trade and Industry (MTI).

A licence is required to import (into Singapore or the Singapore Free Trade Zone), re-export, and carry out wholesale dealings in rice. 

Application Details

For more information on permit applications for import, HS codes, current rice licences, the government-designated warehouses and FAQs, please visit the Rice website.

Please refer to the following pages for information:

Overview of Novel Food Regulatory Framework

Guidelines on Novel Food

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 pages for information:

Overview on Food Safety Regulatory LimitsRegulatory Limits for Food AdditivesRegulatory Limits for Contaminants in Food Chinese Medicinal Materials and ingredients used in food

Please refer to the following pages for information:

Regulatory framework for the use of genome edited crops in food and/or animal feed Conditions related to use of genetically modified crops in foodLabelling Requirements for Genetically Modified (GM) Food