Singapore Food Contact Materials Regulation

1. Definition

In Singapore, food contact materials (FCMs) are regulated as "food appliances", which refer to any item that is meant to come into contact with food and beverages, and does not require electricity to function.

Food contact materials include:

Food ware such as:

bowls
cups
plates
pans
pots
water bottles

Food utensils such as:

chopsticks
spoons

2. 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

3. Market access approval

3.1 Pre-market assessment

Food contact materials can be imported into Singapore from any country or region, provided that they meet SFA’s conditions.

3.2 Overseas trader registration

Importers must register with SFA before importing food contact materials 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 Food Appliances.

3.3 Inspection and sampling

All food consignments and food contact materials are subject to inspections. SFA may collect samples during inspections for laboratory analysis. Inspection items include microbiological, pesticides, drug residues, preservatives, contaminants, and additives. While not mandatory, companies would be well-advised to initiate quality control checks on their FCM products by sending them to accredited laboratories for analysis.

4. Product compliance

4.1 Product requirements

Regulation 37 of the Food Regulations specifies some substances that are restricted to be used in food contact materials. Some examples are listed in the table below:

Substances	Prohibited situations
Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM)	The container contains more than 1 ppm of VCM. The container yields or is likely to yield more than 0.01 ppm of VCM to its contents.
Any compounds known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic; or any other poisonous or injurious substance	The container yields or is likely to yield any such substances to its contents.
Lead, antimony, arsenic and cadmium	The appliance, container and vessel intended for storage, preparation and/or cooking of food is capable of imparting any of these toxic substances to the food stored, prepared or cooked in it.

4.2 Label

There are no specific labelling requirements for FCM products in the Food Regulations in Singapore.

FCM companies may refer to Section 7 Labeling of the ASEAN General Guideline on Food Contact Materials for general labeling compliance.

* Global Food Compliance Service

We provide various market entry services to help stakeholders better understand exporting requirements, establish business and secure a competitive place to facilitate trade development.

Covered Countries

China, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, United States, European Union, Australia, New Zealand etc.

Our Services

Food Ingredient Review
Label Review
Product Registration
Regulatory Consultation
Monitoring, Training and customized report

Please feel free to contact us via food@chemlinked.com if you need any help.