The Singapore government has proposed a new category of food, “Defined Food”, and new requirements for pre-market approval of such foods or ingredients.
The new category was proposed in the latest draft of the Food Safety and Security Bill (FSSB) issued by the Singapore Food Agency (FSA) and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE).
Under the bill, novel foods would be considered a subcategory of “Defined Food,” along with genetically modified food, or an insect-like species, of which no pre-market approval is granted.
The purpose of the FSSB – which opens for public comments this week – is to strengthen Singapore’s food safety and security framework and consolidate existing regulations such as the Sale of Food Act (SFA) and the Feeding Stuffs Act.
In 2019, SFA introduced the novel food regulatory framework, which requires companies to seek pre-market approval for novel food. The legislation has also created initiatives such as the self-assessment checklists which companies can utilise to verify the completeness of safety information and bi-monthly Novel Food Virtual Clinics where interested companies can sign up to better understand SFA’s requirements.
Singapore is recognised as a global hub for novel foods innovation, being the second market in the world to legalise commercial sale of a cultivated meat product after the US.
Australian brand Vow recently received its first approval worldwide for its cultivated quail product in the country, while Australian precision fermentation firm Nourish Ingredients has chosen Singapore as its APAC production hub, The company is in the process of applying for regulatory approval with the Singapore Food Agency for Tastilux to be sold to consumers.
What’s more, sustainable nutrition development company Nurasa announced the opening of its Singapore Food Tech Innovation Centre (FTIC), which possesses advanced capabilities in precision fermentation (PF) and food processing.
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