Since 1 January 2025, the Good Samaritan Food Donation (GSFD) Act 2024 confers protection on food donors and intermediaries who donate and/or distribute free food from criminal or civil liability for any death or personal injury resulting from consuming donated food. However, the protection only applies if the following four conditions are met:
- The food was not unsafe and not unsuitable at the time it left the possession or control of the food donor;
- Where the food was of a nature that required it to be handled in a particular way to ensure that it remained safe and suitable to consume after it left the possession or control of the food donor, the food donor informed the recipient of the food of those handling requirements;
- Where the food would only have remained safe and suitable to consume for a particular period of time after it left the possession or control of the food donor, the food donor informed the recipient of the food of that time limit; and
- The food donor, before donating the food, took all reasonably practicable measures to comply with any applicable requirement under any written law relating to food safety and food hygiene when handling the food.
What are the guidelines for food donation?
SFA has developed a set of Guidelines for Food Donation to assist food donors, and for their staff and volunteers, in understanding and complying with the standard and behaviour expected of them by the law on food safety as regards the food they donate, and how to make use of the protection provided by the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act 2024.
A set of food donation-related posters is also available for download via the links below:
Understanding Food Donation in Singapore
Ensuring Safe Food Donation – Suitability of Food Items
Basic Checklist for Food Donors
Basic Checklist to Share with Recipients of Donated Food
Recommended Checks According to Food Types
For more information
You can contact us via the SFA Online Feedback Form.