G/TBT/N/SGP/39/Add.1  
 
23 November 2018  
(18-7372) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
Addendum  
The following communication, dated 13 November 2018, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Singapore .  
 
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Singapore would like to  notify WTO Members of the following changes to the proposed measures 
(previously notified via G/TBT/N/SGP/39)1, taking into consideration feedback and comments 
received from stakeholders and interested parties:  
• to delete the existing regulation 35 of the Food Regulations and substitute with the following 
new regulation 35:  
"35 - (1) Ready -to-eat food shall comply with the microbiological standard specified in Parts I and 
II of the Eleventh Schedule.  
(2) In these Regulations, "ready -to-eat food" means food that is made available for sale for 
direct human consumption without the need for cooking or any other form of processing to eliminate, 
or reduce to the standards specified in the Eleventh Schedule, any pathogenic or other 
micro -organisms of concern in foo d; and includes concentrated food (e.g. beverages, cup noodles 
and fruit juice cordials, squashes and syrups) which have to be reconstituted or diluted with fluids 
before consumption, chilled or frozen cooked products (e.g. chicken wings, pizza and instant  meal) 
which may be re -heated before consumption.  
• to delete the existing Eleventh Schedule and substitute with a new Eleventh Schedule:  
ELEVENTH SCHEDULE - MICROBIOLOGICAL STANDARD FOR FOOD  
Part I: Enterobacteriaceae and Escherichia coli  
Type of Food  Enterobacteriaceae count  
Colony forming unit/  
gram 
(cfu/g)  Escherichia coli count  
Colony forming unit/  
gram 
(cfu/g)  
Milk powder (including full -cream, half 
cream, skimmed milk and infant formula), 
buttermilk powder, pasteurized milk and ice 
cream  <104 <102 
All other ready -to-eat food  <104 <102 
                                               
1 On 4 September 2018, the Agri -Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore notified the WTO TBT 
Committee of its intention to amend the regulations for microbiological standard for food via G/TBT/N/SGP/39. 
At the close of the notification period, Sing apore received a number of comments. The summary of comments 
received, together with Singapore's response, can be downloaded from the following portal:   
https://www.reach .gov.sg/participate/public -consultation/agrifood -veterinary -authority -of-
singapore/regulatory -programmes/proposed -amendments -to-the-food-regulations -regarding -microbiological -
standards -for-rte-food 
 G/TBT/N/SGP/39/Add.1  
 
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  Part II: Pathogens  
Pathogens  Colony forming unit/gram  
(cfu/g)  
Coagulase -positive Staphylococcus aureus  <102 
Bacillus cereus  <2.0 X 102 
Clostridium perfringens  <102 
Vibrio parahaemolyticus  <102 in raw ready -to-eat seafood only  
Pathogens other than the ones listed in the table above, whether or not commonly associated with 
the ready -to-eat food, should not be detected in 25 grams of the ready -to-eat food.  
The comment period on this measure will be 30 days from the date of notification of this Addendum.  
The name and address of the authority handling comments is as follows:  
Regulatory Administration Group  
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority  
52 Jurong Gateway Road #14 -01 Singapore 608550  
Fax: +(65) 6 334 1831  
E-mail: WTO_Contact@ava.gov.sg  
The public consultation document and proposed regulations are being drafted, and will be posted at 
the following website as soon as they are available: http://www.ava.gov.sg/legislation  (select "Sale 
of Food Act")  
(The above amendment is also notified via SPS notification)  
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