Licensing Criteria and Approval Processes for Central Kitchens in Shophouse Units

Ms Diana Pang Li Yen asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether shophouse units may be licensed as central kitchens; (b) what criteria apply to such licenses; and (c) whether existing safeguards sufficiently address food hygiene and safety across such operations and their distribution to food and beverage establishments.

Central kitchens must generally be located within designated food zone areas or in approved food factories with the infrastructure in place to support the food processing operations. In view of the nature and scale of the use, central kitchens are not allowed in shophouses.

Central kitchens are involved in significant food handling and have a larger scale of distribution than other food and beverage establishments. They are therefore subjected to more frequent inspections by the Singapore Food Agency based on factors, such as the food safety risk of food they prepare and their food safety track record.