Singapore proposed Food Regulations The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has completed a review of the Food Regulations and proposed the following amendments: a) To delete the existing regulation 35 of the Food Regulations and substitute with the following new regulation 35 which provides a definition for ready-to-eat food: 35 – (1) Ready-to-eat food shall comply with the microbiological standard specified in Parts I, II and III of the Eleventh Schedule. (2) In these Regulations, "ready-to-eat food" means food intended by the producer or the manufacturer for direct human consumption without the need for cooking or other forms of processing effective to eliminate or reduce to an acceptable level the micro-organisms of concern. b) To delete the existing Eleventh Schedule of the Food Regulations and substitute with a new Eleventh Schedule which specifies the revised microbiological standard for ready-to-eat food: ELEVENTH SCHEDULE MICROBIOLOGICAL STANDARD FOR FOOD Part I: Total Plate Count Type of Food Colony forming unit/gram (cfu/g) Category 1: Shelf-stable canned, retort and ultra-high <10 (liquid foods) and temperature processed foods subjected <102 (solid foods) to sterilisation or equivalent processing Category 2: (a) Sweetened condensed milk (a) <103 (b) Ready-to-eat foods (not in categories 1 and 4) (b) <105 in which most components are cooked without intention for further processing or heating before consumption; this may include pasteurised food which are shelf stable or may require refrigeration; or non-fermented dairy products and dairy-based desserts; or sauces; or bakery and confectionery products; or powdered foods Category 3: Ready-to-eat foods (not in categories 1, 2 and 4) <106 that are consumed raw or that contain a significant amount of raw ingredients in the final food product Category 4: Fresh fruits and vegetables, fruits and vegetables Not applicable juices which have not been subjected to pasteurisation or equivalent processing, fermented food products, preserved food products (including salted or pickled food products), dried foods, yoghurts, ripened cheeses, foods containing probiotics; foods containing a significant portion of these ingredients in the final food product Category 5: All other ready-to-eat foods not specified above <105 Part II: Coliforms and Escherichia coli Type of Food Coliform count Escherichia coli count Colony forming Colony forming unit/gram (cfu/g) unit/gram (cfu/g) Milk powder (including full-cream, <5.0 X 102 <102 half cream, skimmed milk and infant formula), buttermilk powder, pasteurised milk and ice cream All other ready-to-eat food Not applicable <102 Part III: Pathogens Pathogens Colony forming unit/gram (cfu/g) Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus <102 Bacillus cereus <2.0 X 102 Clostridium perfringens <102 Vibrio parahaemolyticus Not detected in 25g (except for raw ready-to-eat seafood where limit is <102) Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio cholerae Not detected in 25g Salmonella spp. Not detected in 25g Shigella spp. Not detected in 25g Listeria monocytogenes Not detected in 25g Campylobacter spp. Not detected in 25g Escherichia coli O157:H7 Not detected in 25g All other pathogens not stated above, Not detected including Streptococcus agalactiae (serotype III) Singapore notes that the revised microbiological standard for ready-to-eat food would be trade facilitative for most products compared to the existing standard. Hence, we plan to implement the measure one month after the close of the comment period in November 2017. However, we are ready to provide a longer transition period if such a need is identified during the comment period. Products covered: Ready-to-eat food HS code: 040210, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24 Proposed date of adoption: November, 2017 Proposed date of publication: November, 2017 Proposed date of entry into force: November, 2017 Final date for comments: 02-11-2017 | 
.gif)
