Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Meat Import for Personal Consumption

Question:

Ms Rachel Ong: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how meat purchases, specifically barbecued pork slices, bought through online platforms such as Shopee or Lazada from Malaysian sources are being screened or monitored; (b) whether the purchase restrictions for meat imports from Malaysia only refer to non-vacuum packed meat; and (c) whether the Government has plans to review related policies on meat imports from Malaysia for personal consumption.

Answer:

1 The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) requires all food businesses and importers selling meat products, whether through physical stores or e-commerce platforms, to ensure that their products come from accredited sources. SFA works with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to conduct border inspections, and with e-commerce platforms to delist meat products that do not comply with our regulations. 

2 Travellers may bring in food items from abroad for their own consumption, provided that the food is from an approved source within SFA’s list of allowable food items and the specified weight limits. This information is available on SFA website. Meat products from Malaysia are currently not on the approved list.

3 SFA will be implementing a revised private consumption policy to allow each traveller to bring in a total of 15 kg of food across all categories from any country for their personal consumption. However, products of higher regulatory concern, such as animal blood products and game meat, will continue to be disallowed. 

4 The revised policy will be implemented under the Food Safety and Security Bill (FSSB) that was passed in Parliament in January 2025. As the FSSB is extensive, it will be implemented in phases by 2028 to facilitate a smooth transition for the industry and for SFA to put in place the necessary processes and systems to continue to safeguard food safety.