Singapore Dairy Regulations

Sadie Shen Last updated on: Jul 23, 2024

1. Competent authority

Competent authority	Responsibility
Singapore Food Agency (SFA)	Licensing for and registration of traders Inspection and sampling of imported products Review of novel food safety assessment Drafting of food regulations
Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)	Registration and supervision of business entities
Singapore Customs	Customs declaration

2. Market access approval

2.1 Importer registration

Importers must register with SFA before importing dairy products to Singapore. Before that, companies shall register with ACRA to get a Unique Entity Number (UEN) and activate their UEN with Singapore Customs through TradeNet. For more details, please refer to Step-by-Step Guide for New Application of Registration to Import Processed Food Products.

2.2 Import permit

Dairy products are regulated as "processed food" and can be imported into Singapore from any country or region, provided that they meet SFA's conditions. For each shipment entering Singapore, importers must apply for an import permit through TradeNet. The application requires submission of relevant supporting documents and payment of applicable fees. Detailed requirements can be found in import permit application.

It shall be noted that dairy products specified below are classified as higher-risk products and are subject to the Regulated Source Programme. For these products, importers must ensure that they are imported from establishments regulated by the competent authorities of the exporting country or region with an acceptable quality assurance programme (e.g. HACCP and GMP). And when applying for import permits for these products, the importers shall submit additional supporting documents for SFA review.

Applicable dairy products	Import requirements
Dairy Products from Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) affected countries (pasteurized liquid milk, cheese, butter, ice-cream, yoghurt, milk powder)	Documentary proof of regulated manufacturing premises (one time submission) Health certificate (every consignment)
Pasteurized Liquid Milk from FMD-free countries	Documentary proof of regulated manufacturing premises (one time submission) Health certificate (every consignment)
Camel Milk	National food inspection and certification system of Competent Authority of the exporting country/region (one time submission) Documentary proof that the establishment has been yearly inspected by the Competent Authority (one time submission) Documentary proof of regulated manufacturing premises (one time submission) Process flow chart of the heat treatment conducted (one-time submission) Health certificate (every consignment)

Please note that raw liquid milk is not allowed to be imported to Singapore.

2.3 Inspection and sampling

All food consignments are subject to inspection. SFA collects samples during these inspections for laboratory analysis. Inspection items include microbiological, pesticides, drug residues, preservatives, contaminants, and additives.

3. Product compliance

3.1 Product requirements

Dairy products in Singapore must comply with the product requirements in the Food Regulations. Please refer to the corresponding provisions in the Food Regulations for specific requirements.

Items	Provisions
Milk and milk products	Regulation 93-125
Ice-cream, frozen confections and related products	Regulation 126-129
Food additives	Regulation 15-28
Incidental constituents in food	Regulation 29-35

3.2 Label

Dairy products in Singapore should follow the labeling requirements in the Food Regulations. Importers can also check A Guide to Food Labelling and Advertisements for general and additional labelling requirements.

In Singapore, labels shall be in English and printed in letters not less than 1.5mm in height. Like many other processed foods, imported dairy products must be labeled with product name, ingredients list, allergen declaration, quantity, country of origin, name and address of the company as the importer, distributor or agent in Singapore, and other items if applicable.

The below labeling requirements regarding dairy products need attention:

Milk and milk products, including lactose, must be declared due to their potential to cause hypersensitivity.
If certain sweetening agents are added at the level as shown in the table below, dairy-based drinks (flavoured and/or demented) must be labeled with an advisory statement that children of 9 years old and below should not consume more than 2 servings a day, 250mL per serving.