Food & agriculture — Topics

7 Feb 2024

Standardising "Use By" and "Best Before" Date Labels for Food to Reduce Confusion

He Ting Ru proposed standardising "Use By" and "Best Before" labels to reduce confusion and food waste, suggesting partnerships with supermarkets for pilot campaigns.
Dr Koh Poh Koon opposed standardisation, citing international Codex standards, potential increased costs for consumers, and risks to Singapore's food import diversity and security.
The debate highlighted concerns that mandatory labelling could restrict food choices, raise prices, and fail to address varying global standards, while emphasising consumer education on food safety.

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6 Feb 2024

Breakdown of Food Consumption in Singapore and Ensuring Food Security Beyond 2030

Local farms in Singapore produced 609 million eggs, 4,400 tonnes of seafood, and 19,900 tonnes of vegetables in 2022, meeting 29%, 8%, and 4% of consumption respectively, while fruit and meat production is minimal and not tracked.
The 30-by-30 goal faces delays due to COVID-19, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and supply chain disruptions, though support measures like the $60 million Agri-food Cluster Transformation Fund and demand-side initiatives are in place to boost local production.
Local production is one part of a multi-pronged food security strategy, which also focuses on diversifying import sources to ensure resilience beyond 2030.

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6 Feb 2024

Data on Investigations Against Caterers for Failing to Provide Time Stamps for Catered Meals

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment about the number of investigations against caterers for failing to provide time stamps or serving food beyond four hours from cooking over the past five years.
Grace Fu Hai Yien replied that in the past five years, the Singapore Food Agency took 18 enforcement actions against caterers for failing to affix a "consume by" timestamp.
She also stated that there were 29 enforcement actions against caterers for affixing time-stamp labels with false or misleading information on ready-to-eat or consume-by times.
She noted that no enforcement actions were taken for serving food beyond four hours from cooking based on the timestamp.

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6 Feb 2024

Monthly Rentals Paid By Non-Subsidised Hawkers

Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked for the median monthly rent for stalls at NEA-appointed operator hawker centres and the difference compared to NEA-managed centres over the last 10 years.
Grace Fu Hai Yien replied that median rents at Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres (SEHCs) are comparable to NEA-managed centres, with 2023 figures at $1,700 for SEHCs and $1,625 for non-subsidised NEA stalls.
She noted that median rents at both SEHC and NEA hawker centres have remained stable since the SEHC centres began operations.

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6 Feb 2024

Impact of Red Sea Shipping Disruptions on Singapore Consumers and Businesses

Ms See Jinli Jean raised concerns about how global shipping disruptions might affect local consumers and businesses, particularly regarding the prices of essential food items for lower-income households.
The Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr Alvin Tan, noted that minimal disruptions are expected for critical supplies like food, as most are delivered by air or avoid the Red Sea, and highlighted the government's stock-piling and diversification strategies.
The Minister also assured that monetary and fiscal policies, including the exchange rate policy and the $1.1 billion Cost-of-Living Support Package, will help manage imported inflation and support lower-income families.

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5 Feb 2024

Average Annual Operating Cost of Hawker Centres Managed by NEA

Melvin Yong asked for the average annual operating cost per hawker centre managed by NEA over the past five years.
Grace Fu explained that costs vary by centre size and include periodic expenses like painting and repairs.
She noted that a typical centre with around 50 cooked food and 80 market stalls has monthly operating costs of about $40,000, largely funded by Service and Conservancy Charges and cleaning fees.

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5 Feb 2024

Monthly Rentals Paid by Non-subsidised Hawkers

Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment about the highest and lowest monthly rents paid by non-subsidised hawkers at NEA-managed markets and hawker centres over the past five years.
Grace Fu Hai Yien explained that NEA rents stalls through transparent monthly tenders with no minimum bid, with successful bids ranging from $1 to $8,301 per month and 95% under $3,600.
She noted that after the first three years, rents are adjusted to assessed market values set by independent valuers, with median market rents for non-subsidised stalls holding steady at around $320 for markets and $1,200 for cooked food stalls since 2019.

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10 Jan 2024

Management and Impact of Community Gardens on Community Development and Food Resilience

As of January 2024, Singapore has over 1,900 community gardens established under the National Parks Board's Community in Bloom programme to promote gardening and community bonding.
Community gardens are managed by volunteers, residents with support from Residents' Networks, or organizations like schools, with NParks providing guidance on site selection, landscaping, and horticultural best practices.
These gardens foster community development by bringing people together and enhance food resilience through growing edible plants, sharing harvests, and running outreach programs to educate on local produce.

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10 Jan 2024

Statistics of Hawker Centres Operated by Social Enterprises and Relevant Costs Compared to Ones Operated by NEA

As of 31 December 2023, there are 12 hawker centres operated by Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre (SEHC) operators.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) regulates SEHC stall rents by assessing bids and ensuring operators do not deviate from stated costs; median stall rentals and ancillary fees are comparable to NEA-operated centres.
The government monitors SEHC costs to keep them reasonable and affordable, but specific pricing is managed through the tender process rather than direct price controls.

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10 Jan 2024

Update on Private Operation of Interim Markets and Offering Subsidised Rentals at Such Markets

Leong Mun Wai questioned why interim markets are privately operated by the community rather than by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and why subsidised rentals cannot be offered at these markets.
The government fully funds permanent replacement hawker centres but not temporary ones; affected stallholders are informed early and may operate at vacant stalls in other centres if available.
Communities can collectively finance, build, and own temporary markets, as seen in the Bukit Timah case, with NEA assisting by securing land at zero cost.
Rental rates at such community-run interim markets are determined by the community itself, not by government subsidies.

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10 Jan 2024

Impact of Cost Increases on Affordable Food Options at Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres

Edward Chia asked the Ministry to assess how rising costs are affecting affordable food prices at socially-conscious enterprise hawker centres.
Operators of these centres must provide at least one affordable meal option per stall, with hawkers free to price other items based on market and cost factors.
The National Environment Agency will review any proposed price adjustments for affordable meals to ensure they are reasonable.

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10 Jan 2024

Measures to Help Hawkers Cope with Increasing Costs of Supplies and Ingredients

Edward Chia asked about support measures for hawkers facing rising supply costs and the effectiveness of past bulk-purchasing pilot programmes.
Grace Fu responded that NEA helps hawkers by moderating stall rents through no reserve rents and disallowing subletting, and offers productivity support like subsidies for dishwashing automation and co-funding for equipment.
Bulk-purchasing options exist through some hawker centre operators, but take-up has been low due to hawkers’ existing supplier relationships and preference for ingredient quality.
NEA will continue to support bulk-purchasing initiatives where feasible.

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22 Nov 2023

Update on Status of Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre at Block 202C Woodleigh Link in Bidadari Estate

Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment when the Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre at Block 202C Woodleigh Link will be completed and its projected opening date for Bidadari residents.
Grace Fu Hai Yien responded that construction is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
She added that the hawker centre is projected to open in the first half of 2024.

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22 Nov 2023

Update on Status of Bukit Batok Hawker Centre

Murali Pillai requested an update on the expected start and completion dates for the Bukit Batok Hawker Centre, which was announced in 2019 as part of a project co-located with assisted living flats.
Grace Fu Hai Yien stated that the hawker centre is under construction and its completion will align with the overall HDB development, scheduled for 2024.
The National Environment Agency is coordinating with HDB on the timeline and will share confirmed dates once plans are finalized.

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6 Nov 2023

Catered Food for Migrant Workers Living in Dormitories without Time-stamp Indicating Date and Time by Which Food Should Be Consumed

Louis Ng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment for the number of cases over the past five years where catered food for migrant workers in dormitories lacked a “consume by” time-stamp.
Grace Fu responded that the Singapore Food Agency recorded no such cases in the past five years.
The exchange highlights ongoing scrutiny over food safety standards for migrant workers’ catering.
The government’s position indicates compliance with labeling requirements for catered meals in dormitories.

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4 Oct 2023

Inspections to Ensure Workers in Dormitories Consume Catered Food within Four Hours from Time It was Cooked

Louis Ng asked the Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment for the number of inspections conducted over the past five years to ensure catered food in worker dormitories is consumed within four hours of being cooked.
Grace Fu explained that the Singapore Food Agency requires catered food to bear a time-stamp indicating its consumption deadline, and dormitory operators must source food from licensed caterers and protect it from contamination.
The Ministry of Manpower conducts at least annual inspections of licensed dormitories for compliance with the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act, with any lapses addressed immediately.
Workers can report food-related issues to MOM’s support teams or via a mobile app, and SFA investigates specific caterer-related food safety concerns.

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3 Oct 2023

Time Taken to Downgrade Food Hygiene Ratings of Food Outlets in Nanyang Girls School and Shangri-La Hotel after Food Poisoning Incidents

Hazel Poa questioned why it took eight to ten months to downgrade the food hygiene ratings of outlets at Nanyang Girls School and Shangri-La Hotel after poisoning incidents and asked for the usual time range and median.
Grace Fu explained that the Singapore Food Agency requires immediate corrective actions and may stop food sales, with enforcement actions like prosecution or fines taken after joint investigations with the Ministry of Health.
The time for downgrading varies based on case complexity, such as multiple establishments involved, and typically ranges from six to eleven months with a median of eight months.

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3 Oct 2023

Budget Meals As a Proportion of All Meals Sold Hawker Stalls

Mariam Jaafar questioned the proportion of budget meals sold at hawker stalls and whether hawkers are struggling to sustain them due to rising food prices.
Dr Koh Poh Koon stated that while prices are not regulated, affordable options remain, with many stalls offering at least one budget meal, supported by rental rebates and other measures.
Jaafar noted increasing price divergence between budget and regular meals, with some budget options creeping above $4, and asked if rebates would be extended.
Koh responded that no price regulations exist, but NEA provides rental assistance and monitors costs, encouraging productivity and cost-of-living support packages to help hawkers and consumers.

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19 Sep 2023

Impact of El Niño Weather Pattern on Local Farm Yields and Imported Food Supply

Edward Chia asked how El Niño will impact Singapore’s local farm yields and imported food supply due to warmer ocean temperatures.
Grace Fu explained that El Niño brings drier, warmer weather to Southeast Asia and may cause extreme weather globally, potentially affecting crop production and food security.
She noted Singapore imports over 90% of its food and remains vulnerable to global disruptions from weather, geopolitics, or policy changes.
The government’s multi-pronged strategy—diversifying import sources, boosting local production, and stockpiling essentials—aims to mitigate these risks.
While the specific impact of El Niño is hard to predict, extreme weather events are known to harm food security, reinforcing the need for resilience measures.

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19 Sep 2023

Allowing Pets in Outdoor Dining Areas of Food Establishments beyond Licensed Pet Cafes

Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry would consider permitting pets in outdoor dining areas of food establishments beyond licensed pet cafes.
Grace Fu Hai Yien stated that current regulations require a pet café licence from the Singapore Food Agency for any food establishment allowing pets, including in outdoor dining areas, to ensure adherence to additional food hygiene practices.
The licence requirement is intended to maintain food safety standards when pets are present on the premises.

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