A new bill introduced in parliament on Tuesday ( Nov 12 ) will impose stiffer penalties on those who violate food safety regulations in Singapore.
The Food Safety and Security Bill, which was introduced by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment ( MSE), aims to strengthen and update Singapore’s current food-related laws to better protect public health, and address pressing issues arising from food safety.  ,
Under the Bill, maximum penalties will be raised to deter against non-compliance, and will be tiered based on severity and culpability of offences, the Singapore Food Agency ( SFA ) said in a media factsheet.  ,
Higher penalties may qualify for repeat offenders and companies, offences that involve illegal food that causes condition, damage and bodily injuries, and offences that are committed deliberately.
Repetitioners who violate the law may face a maximum fine of S$ 50, 000 ( US$ 37, 600 ) and/or a two-year prison term, according to the proposed legislation, while corporate entities could be fined up to S$ 100, 000.  ,
For up to , three times, those whose licenses have been suspended as a result of fraud or repeated violations of food safety regulations will be prohibited from obtaining new licenses of the same kind.  ,
According to SFA, individuals who have been denied their licenses are prohibited from holding senior positions like CEO or director of the same type of food company.  ,
This forbids inadequate and inadequate individuals from running food businesses that could threaten public health or the health of people.
For “egregious owners” whose permission had been revoked, the Bill will also provide “discretionary rights” to ban their applications for a permission to perform various foods businesses at the same or different premises, SFA said.  ,
Also, those who are considered “associates”, quite as families or friends, will have their marriage with the barred criminals taken into consideration when SFA evaluates their licence program, the company added.  ,
Following customer illnesses brought on by consuming contaminated meals, many food companies made headlines this year.  ,
After dozens of people complained of hepatitis symptoms, Peach Garden’s Thomson Plaza tree was forced to close for a month in April.  ,
A large meal poisoning affair at , ByteDance’s Singapore department in July saw more than 160 people reporting hepatitis symptoms. Operations were suspended for two of the two meals service providers, Pu Tien Services at Senoko South Road and Yun Hai Yao at Northpoint City.
More than 50 people in October had a comparable experience, according to Stamford Catering Services.  ,