Food Safety and Security Bill passed to consolidate and amend law relating to food safety

23 January 2025

On 8 January 2025, the Food Safety and Security Bill (“Bill”) was passed in Parliament. The Bill seeks to:

• consolidate and amend the law relating to food safety in connection with the production of primary produce, the supply of food and the provision of drinking water;

• improve food security in Singapore;

• promote the general public’s health through better diet and nutrition; and

• make consequential and related amendments to other Acts.

The Bill seeks to consolidate the relevant laws so that there is a commodity‑neutral and improved legislative framework to regulate the agri‑food supply chain (colloquially known as “farm to fork”) from primary producers, through intermediary food processors to retailers such as supermarkets and food establishments, so as to minimise and manage the risks to human health with the ultimate individual consumer in mind, and to improve the food security situation in Singapore.

The Bill also seeks to avoid overlapping and duplicative requirements in the areas of importing and rearing of food producing animals and the cultivation of edible plants.

The provisions of the Bill will be implemented in phases by 2028 to facilitate a smooth transition for the industry, starting with defined foods and non-packaged drinking water in the second half of 2025. The industry and public will be informed ahead of the implementation of relevant provision to allow time for them to prepare for the changes.

On 21 March 2024, the Singapore Food Agency published two consultation papers on provisions in the draft Food Safety and Security Bill relating to defined food and pre-market approval and the provision of non-packaged drinking water. For further information, please read our article “Singapore Food Agency seeks feedback on provisions in draft Food Safety and Security Bill on defined food and pre-market approval and provision of non-packaged drinking water”.

Reference materials

The following materials are available on Singapore Statutes Online sso.agc.gov.sg, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment website www.mse.gov.sg and Ministry of Health website www.moh.gov.sg:

• Food Safety and Security Bill

• Opening speech by Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam at the second reading of the Bill

• Opening speech by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu at the second reading of the Bill

• Opening speech by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon at the second reading of the Bill