SINGAPORE: Restaurants looking to allow pets in their outdoor dining areas will no longer need to seek additional approval from Jan 1, 2025, if they are not serving pet food.
Announcing this on Monday (Dec 2), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said the move is part of its regular review of food safety regulations.
“SFA has assessed that the risk of food safety and zoonotic transmission with the presence of pets at outdoor refreshment areas is low and that the prevailing food safety requirements that apply to retail food businesses are sufficient to mitigate the risk,” the agency said in a media release.
Outdoor refreshment areas refer to food premises that are not enclosed, even if they are under shelter. They must also be accessible without needing to go through the food premises.
Currently, all retail food businesses must convert their licence to a pet cafe licence to allow customers to bring pets along for dine-in.
There are about 120 such establishments, said SFA, and about 40 food businesses are expected to benefit from the eased regulations every year.
Restaurants that intend to serve pet food and food for human consumption will continue to require a pet cafe licence from SFA.