A number of different food companies have been fined in Singapore for unrelated violations in recent months.
Offenses included operating from unapproved sites, illegal imports, and selling food before it had been inspected and cleared.
Sin Hin Frozen Food, was fined $10,000 (U.S. $7,500) in court in April for labeling seafood products with misleading information and carrying out food processing activities at an unlicensed site.
In June 2022, Singapore Food Agency (SFA) officers discovered the company, a licensed cold store, repacking raw scallops without the necessary approval. Illegal repacking of seafood at unlicensed facilities poses a food safety risk, said the SFA.
Officials found that repackaged scallops had labels with an expiry date and country of origin different from what was on the original label. About 85 kilograms (187 pounds) of products were seized.
Import problems
SFA also seized about 2.2 tons of illegally imported food from Vietnam, following a raid at an old industrial building in Senoko earlier this month.
Officers found processed and raw meat and seafood, including frozen pork, beef, chicken, fish and frog, which had been imported from unapproved sources and without a valid license. A total of 470 bottles of alcohol were also recovered.
A woman was found to be operating the warehouse, part of which was used as an unlicensed cold store with seven chest freezers and two chillers.
At the start of April, Orca Marketing, a licensed food importer, was fined $15,000 (U.S. $11,200) by the court for failing to organize an inspection, examination, and certification by SFA, as well as for selling imported food prior to inspection.
Company director, Christopher John Moore, was fined $13,000 (U.S. $9,700) for not preventing the offense from being committed.
The firm imported chilled whole lamb and beef tenderloin in January and June 2021. On both occasions, it failed to set up an SFA inspection, examination, and certification of the consignments and proceeded to sell the products.
In Singapore, upon import of meat and fish products, companies must arrange for them to be checked by an authorized examiner before they are sold, distributed or exported.
Lack of approval or permit
Alliance Divine Impex was fined $4,000 (U.S. $3,000) in court in late March for operating an unlicensed cold store.
In July 2022, during an inspection, Singapore Food Agency officers found about 3,200 kilograms (7,000 pounds) of meat and seafood products stored in a unit not licensed as a cold store. The products, which included mutton and shrimp, were seized by authorities.
Aureo Asia was also fined $6,000 (U.S. $4,500) by the court for importing and possessing meat products without a permit.
During an inspection by Singapore Food Agency officers in March 2022, the online retailer was found with 46 kilograms (101 pounds) of meat products without a valid permit
Further investigations revealed the business had imported 180 kilograms (397 pounds) of assorted meat products from Taiwan, such as beef and chili pork-flavored instant noodles, without an import permit.
In March 2023, the director of Ed’s Frozen Enterprise was sentenced to three weeks in prison for running an unlicensed cold store. Tan Poh Gwee, of Ed’s Frozen Enterprise, operated the cold store that was used for meat and seafood products ahead of sale.
In August 2021, officers from the Singapore Food Agency found that Ed’s Frozen Enterprise had been storing 19,000 kilograms (41,900 pounds) of meat and seafood products at the site. Products were seized by SFA. The inspection also uncovered live cockroaches in the refrigerated compartment of the delivery vehicle, which was found to be faulty.
This past month, Zheng Jingpin, partner of Sengkang Trading Enterprise, was fined $17,500 (U.S. $13,100) in court for illegally importing meat products from Malaysia.
In June 2022, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers detected a lorry with 145 cartons of canned meat that had been declared processed food. The case was referred to the Singapore Food Agency for investigation.
SFA found about 1,200 kilograms (2,600 pounds) of canned meat. Sengkang Trading Enterprise is licensed to import processed food but not meat, so products were seized. Illegally imported food products from unknown sources can pose a food safety risk, said the agency.
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