Food Import & Export

Food-Health Products

Before checking the general classification of food products, traders and manufacturers of food-health products need to determine which competent authority regulates their products. Food-health products could fall under the regulation of either:

• Singapore Food Agency (SFA), or
• Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

The import and sale of food and supplements of food nature are governed by the Sale of Food Act and the Food Regulations under SFA.

Importers must ensure that their products comply with SFA’s regulations and labelling requirements.

Meanwhile, medicinal and other health-related products are regulated under HSA’s regulations. Some products include western medicinal products, Chinese proprietary medicines and cosmetic products.

In general, food-health products are regulated by SFA if they are taken as:

• part of a daily diet, or
• supplementation to a diet, with no defined dosage.

The classification of food-health products may depend on various factors, please see Classification Tree for Products in the Food-Health Product Interface for more information and product examples.

Do note that this tree serves only as a guide. Please seek confirmation with the respective Authority on your product’s classification.

General Classification of Food & Food Products

Specific conditions and requirements apply when importing and exporting food and food products

Food businesses, traders, consumers and travellers are advised to check SFA’s classification below to identify the relevant specific conditions and requirements to meet.

If your product does not fall under any of these categories, please refer to the Conditions related to Novel Food.

Food Group	What's Included	Additional References
Meat	Whole carcasses or parts of any animal or bird*. These can be chilled, frozen, processed or in canned form. These include products that containing meat, animal oil and fat. Some examples of processed meat products include: beef rendang, pizza, bak kwa.	Product code for Meat and meat products
Fish	Any of the following varieties of marine, brackish water or fresh water: fishes crustacean (e.g. crabs, lobsters, prawns, etc) molluscs (e.g squids, octopus, cuttlefish, etc) marine sponges trepang or marine invertebrates (e.g. sea cucumber) any other form of aquatic life including their young and eggs These can be live, chilled, frozen, processed or in canned form. Excluded: Ornamental varieties of fishes	Product code for Fish and Fish Products
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables	Raw and unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Some examples include raw (fresh) ginseng, fresh durians. Excluded: Fruits and vegetables which have undergone some processing such as cutting, peeling, canning and freezing. These are regulated as processed food.	Product code for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh Eggs	Table eggs	Product code for Table Eggs
Processed Eggs	salted and preserved eggs liquid and powdered egg cooked eggs (e.g. hard-boiled eggs and omelette)	Product codes for processed eggs
Processed Food	All food products and supplements of food nature that are not grouped as meat products, fish products or fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. Some examples include: mineral water wine infant formula milk and milk products such as cheese, milk powder and yoghurt biscuits cooking oil beverages nuts insects and insect products	Product codes for processed food
Food Appliances	Any item that is meant to come into contact with food and beverages and does not require electricity to function. Food ware such as: bowls cups plates pans pots water bottles Food utensils such as: chopsticks spoons	Product Codes for Food Appliances

* Traders who intend to import Live Poultry into Singapore, please refer to the page 'Import, Export & Transshipment of Live Poultry &Livestock' for the relevant import requirements and procedures.

Overseas Establishments wishing to seek approval from SFA to export Live Poultry to Singapore, please refer to the sub-section 'Live Poultry' for the relevant accreditation requirements and procedures.