Mr Koh Poh Tiong, Chairman of AVA

Dr Chua Sin Bin, CEO of AVA

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening. I am happy to be here at AVA’s Food Safety Awards Night 2007 and to have the opportunity to give recognition to the commitment of our local food industry to food safety excellence. It is also an opportunity to once again remind ourselves that food safety is a partnership and shared responsibility of the government, food industry and consumers.

Food Safety Challenges

2 It is not uncommon to read or hear news about food product recalls or tainted food items. Various food safety hazards can arise during the production, handling, processing and packaging of foods. The government and the food industry have to remain vigilant in ensuring food quality and safety, so that consumers can enjoy safe and nutritious food.

3 There is increasing global concern over illnesses caused by unsafe food. Statistics from the World Health Organisation indicate that in 2005 alone, 1.8 million people died from diseases arising from consumption of unsafe food. Public awareness and concerns over food safety issues have also been heightened by recent spates of food scares around the world. These include outbreaks of the Mad-Cow Disease, microbial contamination of vegetables, meat and processed food, as well as salted eggs, eels and canned fish being tainted with harmful chemical dyes and residues.

4 Given that Singapore imports more than 90% of our food, we are especially vulnerable to occurrences of unsafe food overseas. For instance, earlier this year, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority or AVA had to recall imported contaminated peanut butter, baby food, smoked salmon and trout mousse. With the Bird Flu endemic in this region, our supply of poultry and eggs is also constantly under threat.

The Role of the Government in Food Safety

AVA’s Integrated Food Safety System

5 It is therefore heartening to learn that in the face of such challenges, Singapore has one of the lowest incidences of food-borne disease outbreaks in the world. This is, in large part, due to the stringent food safety standards and checks of AVA, our national food safety authority. AVA’s stringent import control, inspection programmes and accreditation systems are further complemented by the advanced and rapid diagnostic capability of AVA’s laboratory services. All these factors have helped AVA to minimise the risk of food hazards entering our food chain.

Keeping Abreast

6 AVA also keeps a close watch on both the local and global arena to ensure that our food safety policies and control programmes stay current. Where there are specific or emerging concerns, AVA will introduce new regulations, additional programmes or checks if necessary.

7 For example, when AVA found that live cockles were illegally shucked under unhygienic conditions in back alleys and HDB flats, and transported without proper refrigeration, it promptly introduced new regulations to safeguard public health. Thus, with effect from 1 May this year, AVA requires the shucking of live cockles to be carried out in a licensed processing facility and only suppliers who own licensed processing facilities are allowed to import live cockles.

8 A second example is the introduction of new requirements for the import of salted and preserved eggs with effect from 13 July 2007. Due to an increase in detection of prohibited colourings such as Sudan red in salted and preserved eggs and its risk to consumer safety, AVA will require such eggs to be imported from approved sources only, and each consignment must be accompanied by a health certificate certifying that the egg products are free from Sudan red.

Risk Management Approach

9 To enhance our supply resilience, AVA adopts a science-based risk management approach in tandem with its food safety system. A risk management approach facilitates the import of safe food from countries not completely disease-free. With risk management, Singapore can continue to import such overseas food sources without compromising public health.

10 A good example is the establishment of bird flu free zones to minimise disruption to the supply of chicken and eggs from Malaysia to Singapore. With bird flu free zones in place, AVA would only need to suspend imports from the affected state, while imports of poultry and egg from unaffected disease free zones in Malaysia can continue.

Food Safety is a Shared Responsibility

11 Even though AVA has done a good job in ensuring food safety, we must not take the safety of the food we enjoy in Singapore for granted. There are many opportunities for chemical, microbial and even physical contaminants to sneak into our food at various stages of the food chain. Therefore, the assurance of food safety requires the combined effort of not just the government but also the food industry and consumers. Let me elaborate.

The Role of the Food Industry

12 The food industry has an important role to play in ensuring food safety. Food producers, manufacturers, importers and distributors in Singapore must do their part to uphold the high food safety standards by complying with AVA's requirements. They can do so by adopting good agricultural and manufacturing practices, as well as food safety assurance programmes, such as the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), that are designed to ensure the quality and safety of their products.

13 Keeping food safe for consumers also makes good business sense. With occurrences of food scares and increasing consumer demands for wholesome and safe food, the competitiveness of food production will become more and more dependent on the reliability of the safety and quality of food. Therefore, managing food safety risk has become a prime requirement for those operating along the entire food chain – from cultivators and food processors to retailers, as well as storage and transport companies.

Food Safety Excellence Awards

14 In this regard, I am pleased to note that more and more of our local food industry players recognise the importance and value of ensuring food safety and quality. The number of food producers that have voluntarily adopted food safety assurance systems has been increasing steadily. In 2006, 250 companies have implemented HACCP or similar programmes. The figure has increased by another 40 companies in the first half of 2007. This is a positive and encouraging development.

15 Tonight, we will be giving out the Food Safety Excellence Awards to recognise the commitment and exemplary efforts of the food industry in producing safe and quality food. Companies receiving the awards have achieved sustained excellence in food hygiene, sanitation and processing. I would like to congratulate and applaud all the award recipients for your praise-worthy efforts and to encourage you to keep up the good work.

Food Safety Partners

16 Food industry players can also play a role in educating consumers on the safe use of their food products, be they raw, semi-processed or ready-to-eat food. Hence, I would like to make special mention of AVA’s Food Safety Partners who have played an active role in educating consumers on food safety. These Partners have made substantial efforts to disseminate food safety tips to consumers through their product packaging, publicity materials and events, including collaboration with AVA in its food safety public education programme.

17 This year, two companies – Golden Glory Food Industries and Seo Eng Joo Frozen Food, will be joining the ranks of the select few who are being held up as role models for the food industry. Five of our current Food Safety Partners will also be renewing their partnerships with AVA. They are Cold Storage Supermarket, Chop Hup Chong, KSB Distribution, NTUC FairPrice and Thong Siek Food Industries.

18 I would like to commend the Food Safety Partners for their efforts and contributions to food safety in Singapore. I hope that more companies will follow in their footsteps to spread the word on food safety to consumers.

Consumers’ Role and AVA’s Food Safety Public Education Programme

19 While AVA and the food industry can exert control over the quality and safety of food produced or imported, they cannot run the last mile in ensuring that the food would be safely processed and prepared at home. A 1999 WHO report showed that in Europe, the home was where foodborne disease outbreaks occurred most frequently. Hence, it is vital for consumers to adopt correct food handling practices to avoid food safety problems in the home.

20 AVA’s Food Safety Public Education Programme was launched in July 2002 to raise awareness among the public that food safety is a shared responsibility and equips consumers with the knowledge of safe food handling and preparation practices in order to protect themselves and their families.

21 This year, AVA’s food safety public education programme will be focusing on the theme of “Cook Your Food Well” to highlight the importance of cooking food thoroughly at a high enough temperature (at least 74^oC) to kill harmful bacteria that can be found in raw or undercooked food, especially meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy products.

22 A series of intensified activities to reach out to consumers will be launched for a whole month beginning with tonight’s Food Safety Awards Night. Simple tips based on this year’s theme will also be disseminated through TV, radio and print advertisements, as well as through tours by AVA’s food safety mascot at supermarkets, libraries and schools. There will also be cooking demonstrations to give consumers hands-on experience of how these tips can be put into practice.

23 Such public education efforts are bearing fruits. There has been an increase in the awareness of key food safety messages that AVA has been promoting. AVA’s survey in 2006 found that 69% of consumers were more willing to share responsibility for food safety compared to 49% in 2002. The results show that more members of the public are now aware of AVA’s role in ensuring food safety and recognise food safety as a shared responsibility.

Concluding Remarks

24 In this tripartite partnership in food safety assurance, every player – AVA, the food industry and the consumers, must share the common goal of assuring food safety in Singapore. Any lapse in this partnership can compromise the efforts of the other parties. But complementary efforts will reap benefits for all. Food safety is a shared responsibility. So, together, let’s keep our food safe, and maintain the outstanding food safety standard that Singapore is widely associated with!

25 Once again, I congratulate all winners tonight and wish all of you an enjoyable evening. Thank you.

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