Singapore: Insects and new food imports must apply for pre-market approval

Singapore

Regulation & Compliances

Published Mar 16, 2024

Tridge summary

The Singapore Food Agency is introducing a new Food Safety and Security Bill, requiring food companies to seek pre-market approval for importing or processing unapproved insect foods. The bill, to be phased in by June, aims to provide legal clarity for businesses dealing with novel foods, genetically modified foods, and insect-based products. The agency is also expected to launch a regulatory framework for insect food, covering 16 approved types, in the first half of this year. The new legislation will consolidate all food safety and security regulations from eight existing decrees into a single framework.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

If unapproved insect foods such as crickets, silkworm chrysalis, grasshoppers, and other new foods are to be imported into Singapore, or processed or cultured locally, food companies must apply for pre-market approval from the government and must also meet the following requirements: Additional regulatory requirements to further safeguard consumer safety while strengthening our country's ability to respond to food supply disruptions. The Singapore Food Agency issued a statement on Friday (March 15) announcing that from now until June, the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment and the Food Agency will phase in the proposed Food Safety and Security Bill (Food Safety and Security Bill). Launch public consultation. The above provisions are part of the measures in the bill. The first public consultation will focus on novel foods, genetically modified foods, and specific foods such as insects and insect-based products that have not yet been approved. The new bill will set out ...

Source: Zaobao