Singapore

Codex Contact Point

National Codex Contact Point for Singapore, Singapore Food Agency Food Regulatory Management Division 52 Jurong Gateway Road #13-01 Singapore 608550

Telephone:
+65 6805 2914
+65 6805 2910

Email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Competent authorities

Name of authority:
Singapore Food Agency

Mandate/competence:
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is the national food safety and security agency in Singapore (http://www.sfa.gov.sg/)

Name of authority:
Ministry of Health (MOH)

Mandate/competence:
The Ministry of Health is responsible for communicable diseases surveillance at the national level and the investigation and response of major foodborne outbreaks. (http://www.moh.gov.sg)

INFOSAN Emergency Contact Point

(1) Ms Shirley Chua
Director, Licensing & Permits Division, Food Production & Processing Department
Singapore Food Agency

(2) Ms Chua Lay Har
Deputy Director, Licensing & Permits Division, Food Trade Department, Food Import Section
Singapore Food Agency

(3) MOH IHR Singapore (Ministry of Health – International Health Regulations, Singapore)
[email protected]

Food safety and consumer protection – laws and regulations

The current list of legislation, related to food safety and consumer protection in each country, is extracted from FAO's database on Food Legislation FAOLEX. While FAOLEX makes every effort to serve as a high quality, reliable source of information, no guarantee is given that the information provided in FAOLEX is correct, complete, and up-to-date.

The national Codex programme

National Codex consultative mechanism

Currently, Singapore is still developing a national consultative mechanism for Codex programme.
As the key food safety authority in Singapore, SFA keeps track of Codex activities and engages with relevant industry stakeholders on specific topics, as and when necessary.

Providers of scientific and technical input to national consultation on Codex

Not applicable

Risk Assessments and Scientific Data

National bodies providing risk assessment and scientific advice

1. Singapore Food Agency (SFA)

2. The Ministry of Health, Singapore
a. Communicable Diseases Division
b. Public Health Intelligence Branch
c. National Public Health Laboratory of the MOH

Risk assessment, risk profiles, scientific opinions

NIL

Official Laboratories

Official Laboratory:
National Centre for Food Science
Official Competence:
Chemistry
Microbiology
Molecular biology and genetically modified organism analyses

Surveillance of foodborne diseases and monitoring of food contamination

National surveillance systems – foodborne disease in humans

The Ministry of Health has established indicator and event-based surveillance systems for monitoring communicable diseases. Events that are a risk to public health are monitored through channels such as compulsory infectious diseases reporting under the Infectious Diseases Act, or anecdotal reporting by doctors of outbreaks or cases. The event-based surveillance system also includes the Severe Infectious Diseases of Possible Infectious Cause system which investigates cases of severe illness (deaths, ICU admissions) among persons 1-49 years of age for novel infectious diseases in the major public hospitals, and the monitoring of notifications from the public which are thoroughly investigated if a common link is identified.

Indicator based surveillance is based on data from mandatory notifications as well as reports from sentinel sites. The sentinel surveillance network comprises of Emergency Departments of all public hospitals, selected private primary care clinics and all polyclinics (large public outpatient clinics) located island wide. Both disease-specific and syndromic data are analysed and monitored.

In addition, virological surveillance (e.g. virus typing) is routinely carried out for viruses such as enteroviruses by the National Public Health Laboratory.

Surveillance data are shared and used to guide risk assessments, research, educational materials and public health operational plans.

National monitoring systems – foodborne hazards in the food chain

Imported and locally manufactured food items undergo regular sampling and laboratory testing for both chemical and biological foodborne hazards.

Food establishments in Singapore are subjected to regular inspection to check on their food safety management system and food handling practices at the establishments. This is supported by a surveillance, and risk assessment programme.