1. Definition & classification
Meat, as defined under Regulation 59 of the Food Regulations, refers to any edible part of the carcass of any animal or bird that was healthy at the time of slaughter and is ordinarily used as food by humans. This includes fresh as well as meat prepared through freezing, chilling, preserving, salting or any other process.
Meat and meat products include products that contain over 5% meat content, as well as animal oil and fat. Some examples of processed meat products include: beef rendang, pizza, and bak kwa.
2. Competent authority
Competent authority | Responsibility |
Singapore Food Agency (SFA) |
|
Registration and supervision of business entities | |
Customs declaration |
3. Market access approval
3.1 Accreditation of meat sources
Meat and meat products imported to Singapore must be from accredited sources. Generally, accreditation is required at 3 levels: country, establishments in the approved countries, and products from approved establishments.
Competent authorities of countries must seek accreditation to export meat products to Singapore. Meat establishments must check whether the country is accredited by SFA and submit application through the competent authority. SFA-approved establishments must submit product-related information for assessment to ensure compliance with Singapore's food safety standards.
In addition, Food establishments exporting products with less than 5% meat content do not need to be accredited by the SFA. However, they must be regulated by the exporting country's Competent Authority. For all beef products, regardless of percentage content, accreditation is required.
For detailed accreditation requirements, please refer to:
3.2 Overseas trader licensing
Importers must obtain a trader's licence before importing meat and meat 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 Licence to Import Meat Products.
3.3 Inspection and sampling
Every consignment of meat products must be inspected for their wholesomeness, freedom from disease and spoilage, and sampled for microbiological examination. Every consignment of meat products must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate issued by the competent authority of the exporting country, certifying the product's compliance with Singapore's animal health and food safety requirements, including veterinary import conditions.
For more details on veterinary conditions, please refer to:
Veterinary conditions for the importation of beef and beef products
Veterinary conditions for the importation of pork and pork products
Veterinary conditions for the importation of poultry and poultry products
4. Product compliance
4.1 Product requirements
Food Regulations provide detailed product requirements for meat and meat products. Some important parts of Food Regulations related to meat and meat products are listed as below.
Seventeenth Schedule: Pathogen Reduction Treatments in Meat and Their Maximum Permitted Levels
Eighteenth Schedule: Maximum Residue Limit for Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods
4.2 Label
Every carton and basic packaging unit of the imported meat and meat product must be labelled with the following information:
Description of the meat product
Country of origin of the meat product
Brand name of the meat product, if any
Name and designation number of the processing establishment, if applicable
Date on which the meat product was processed
In the case of a processed meat product, the name and designation number of the slaughterhouse in which the animals used in the production of such meat product were slaughtered, and the date of the slaughter
Name and designation number of the establishment in which, and the date on which, the meat product was packed
Batch number and, where the meat product was canned, the canning code
Net weight of meat product in each basic packaging and outer carton
For more details on the labelling of meat products, please refer to:
* 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
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Monitoring, Training and customized report
Please feel free to contact us via food@chemlinked.com if you need any help.
