Consultation on Draft Food Regulations 2022 (Deletion of Standards of Identity)

Singapore Food Agency

Consultation Period: 21 Mar 2022 - 16 May 2022

Status: Closed

Detailed Description

Consultation On Draft Food (Amendment No. X) Regulations 2022 (Deletion Of Standards Of Identity)

Aim

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is seeking feedback from the food industry, as well as interested parties on the draft Food (Amendment No. X) Regulations 2022 (deletion of standards of identity), which is tentatively targeted to come into effect in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Background

2 SFA initiated a public consultation from 21 June to 20 August 2021 on the proposed amendments to the Food Regulations to delete the standards of identity in Regulations 39 to 260, except where these continue to be needed for food safety reasons, or to support the policies that have an impact on public health. Comments were sought from stakeholders (industry associations, local food manufacturers, retailers and importers), as well as interested parties, on the proposed amendments.

3 At the close of the public consultation exercise, SFA received comments from 18 respondents. SFA’s response to the comments received is available for viewing at: https://www.sfa.gov.sg/docs/default-source/legislation/sale-of-food-act/summary-of-response-to-comments-received-for-deletion-of-stds-identity.pdf

4 SFA has assessed the comments received and plans to carry out the deletion of the standards of identity in two phases:

     i. Phase 1 (tentatively targeted for fourth quarter of 2022) – SFA will delete 59 standards of identity that do not contain any food additive provisions; or are not required to interpret the food categories in the existing regulations or Schedules of the Food Regulations which specify the food additive provisions / maximum limits for incidental constituents.

     ii. Phase 2 (tentatively targeted for 2023) – SFA will delete the remaining standards of identity after SFA has developed a food category system and migrated all food additive provisions to the food category system. This will address concerns on the impact of the deletion of standards of identity on food additive provisions.

5 This present consultation concerns the deletion of the 59 Phase 1 standards of identity.

Details of amendments

6 The draft Food (Amendment No. X) Regulations 2022 contains amendments to the Food Regulations to delete the following 59 standards of identity in Phase 1:

7 The legal text of the amendments can be downloaded from SFA’s website at:
http://www.sfa.gov.sg/legislation (select “Sale of Food Act”, then click on “Draft Food (Amendment No. X) Regulations 2022 (Deletion of Standards of Identity)”)

8 Deletion of Phase 2 standards of identity are not the subject of this present consultation. Industry members and interested parties will be given the opportunity to submit comments during the consultation exercise for the deletion of Phase 2 standards of identity, tentatively planned for 2023.

Request for comments

9 SFA invites views and comments on paragraph 6 above in relation to the draft Food (Amendment No. X) Regulations 2022 (Deletion of standards of identity). All submissions should be clearly and concisely written and should provide a reasoned explanation for any proposed revisions.

10 Submissions should reach SFA no later than 5:00 p.m. (Singapore time; UTC+8), 16 May 2022, through email, to the following address: WTO_Contact@sfa.gov.sg