Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on the new Safety Assurance for Food Establishments (SAFE) framework

Questions:

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how the new Safety Assurance for Food Establishment (SAFE) framework that will be implemented from 19 January 2026 is expected to address public health risks more effectively; and (b) what metrics does the Government plan to use in order to evaluate this.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how will transparency and authenticity of the food safety grading under the new Safety Assurance for Food Establishment (SAFE) framework be assured, given that physical decals will be replaced by digital disclosures from 19 January 2026 onwards; and (b) how will consumers who are less digitally savvy still be able to easily access the food safety grading information.

Ms Poh Li San: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with the new food grading system announced on 7 January 2026 (a) how will small businesses with limited resources be assisted to meet the additional requirements; and (b) what is the transition duration as well as the resources required by SFA to complete inspections under the new grading system.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment regarding the new Safety Assurance for Food Establishments (SAFE) framework (a) whether the shift to self-regulation and reduction in regular inspections is being driven by manpower constraints; (b) what is the revised inspection frequency; and (c) whether relying on track records risk making the system reactive, where food safety standards may slip unnoticed until a major lapse occurs.

Answer:

The SAFE framework is a food safety grading system that communicates food establishments’ food safety performance more clearly to consumers, so that they can make informed choices. It is part of SFA’s science- and risk-based food safety regime, which aims to keep the number of foodborne illness cases related to foodborne outbreaks low. It will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase implemented on 19 January 2026.

Under the SAFE framework, food establishments fall in one of two categories based on their level of food processing or preparation. Category 1 food establishments are those with a larger scale of food processing or preparation, such as food manufacturers, caterers, central kitchens and large restaurants. The majority of food establishments such as hawker stalls, small restaurants and bakeries, fall under Category 2. These have a smaller scale of food processing or preparation.

Food establishments are graded ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ based on their food safety track record from SFA’s inspections. They do not have to fulfill any additional requirements, unless they are Category 1 food establishments that wish to attain Grade ‘A’. Such establishments will need to implement a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) and appoint an Advanced Food Hygiene Officer (AFHO) to provide better food safety assurance to consumers.

Those that commit a major food safety lapse and are convicted in court or suspended after accumulating 12 or more points from food safety lapses will be downgraded to Grade ‘C’ regardless of their existing grade. Downgraded establishments will need to build up and maintain good food safety track records, before they can move to a higher grade.

Compared with the annual snapshot assessment under the previous grading scheme, the new SAFE framework considers a food establishment’s year-round food safety track record from its history of inspections, including any involvement in foodborne incidents. This encourages food establishments to consistently maintain good food safety practices. SFA will continue to conduct regular inspections of all food establishments under its targeted, data-driven regime. Food establishments with a larger scale of food processing or preparation, as well as those with Grade ‘C’, will be inspected more frequently.  

For small businesses in Category 1 that wish to implement the additional requirements and maintain their Grade ‘A’ status, government support is available. Individuals who apply for the AFHO training course will receive SkillsFuture Singapore subsidies of up to 70%. Food businesses can send existing staff to be trained. As for FSMS implementation, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can receive up to 50% support under EnterpriseSG's Enterprise Development Grant to implement and certify their FSMS. This grant specifically supports local SMEs for first-time certification and adoption of standards, and covers qualifying project costs such as consultancy and certification fees for FSMS standards.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin also asked about how the transparency and authenticity of the SAFE grades can be assured with the shift away from physical decals, and how less digitally savvy consumers will be able to access information on SAFE grades. Under the previous system, physical decals were updated annually following inspections and may not reflect real-time changes. By scanning the QR code on a food establishment’s licence, consumers can be assured of the most up-to-date and accurate information on the food establishment’s grade and track records. This mitigates the risk of outdated decals being displayed at the premises. Under the Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA), food establishments must display their licence at a conspicuous and accessible position at their premises.

Consumers who are less digitally savvy or without smart devices can request the grade from the stall operator or seek assistance from a fellow diner with a smart device. To better support such consumers, SFA has also partnered with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) on the Seniors Go Digital programme to teach seniors on how to use their phone cameras to scan the SAFE QR codes at food establishments.