Báo Đầu tư•19/11/2024Businesses exporting to Singapore should be aware of banned food additives.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade advises Vietnamese businesses exporting to Singapore to regularly update information on food regulations to ensure their products meet the food safety standards of the importing country.
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| The Singapore Food Authority has warned that some products contain sibutramine. |
According to information from the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore, the Singapore Food Authority (SFA) has issued a statement regarding the detection of the banned substance Sibutramine in the ingredients of three coffee products: KetoDiet Coffee from Malaysia, ChoCo Premix Coffee, and V-SHOU Premium Coffee (origin unknown).
The SFA advises consumers in this country not to buy or use the aforementioned products.
Sibutramine, originally an ingredient in weight-loss drugs, is only permitted for use under a doctor's prescription. This substance has been banned in Singapore since 2010 due to the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other central nervous system disorders in users.
According to Section 15 of Singapore's Food Business Act, the distribution of unsafe food in Singapore is illegal. Any individual or business violating any provision of this Act is in violation of the law and is subject to a penalty of up to S$5,000.
In the case of a second or subsequent conviction, the penalty shall not exceed S$10,000 and/or imprisonment for no more than 3 months.
The SFA will take strict measures against any individual or business selling or supplying unsafe food products that contain prohibited substances.
The food additives permitted for use in food products imported or manufactured for sale in Singapore are regulated by the country's Food Regulation.
Mr. Cao Xuan Thang, Commercial Counselor and Head of the Vietnamese Trade Office in Singapore, stated that Singapore is a market with high and stringent requirements regarding food safety. Up-to-date and accurate understanding of local food regulations is the first and most important requirement for producing and exporting food products to the Singapore market.
"Vietnamese food businesses should regularly check the ingredients in their products, ensuring they only use permitted food additives and that the usage levels are within the maximum limits allowed by Singaporean regulations," the Vietnamese Trade Office in Singapore advised.
In the first seven months of 2024, Vietnam-Singapore trade reached US$5.79 billion, with Vietnam exporting US$2.92 billion worth of goods to Singapore, a 24% increase compared to the same period last year, and importing US$2.87 billion from Singapore.
