G/TBT/N/SGP/39  
 
4 September 2017  
(17-4692) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member : SINGAPORE   
If applicable, name of local government involved  (Article 3.2 and 7.2) :  
2. Agency responsible:  Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority  of Singapore (AVA)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification  shall be indicated if different from above :  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Ready -to-eat food  
5. Title, number of pa ges and language(s)  of the notified document:  Existing 
regulation: Food Regulations, available online from www.ava.gov.sg/legislation  (select 
"Sale of Food Act")  
The proposed changes to the existing regulat ion is detailed in para 6 below. (226 page(s), 
in English)    
6. Description of content:   
The Agri -Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has completed a review of the 
Food Regulations and proposes the following amendments:  
a) To delete the existing  regulation 35 of the Food Regulations and substitute with the 
following new regulation 35 which provides a definition for ready -to-eat food : 
35 – (1) Ready -to-eat food shall comply with the microbiological standard specified in 
Parts I, II and III of the Eleventh Schedule.  
(2) In these Regulations, "ready -to-eat food" means food intended by the producer or 
the manufacturer for direct human consumption without the need for cooking or other 
forms of processing effective to eliminate or reduce to an acceptabl e level the micro -
organisms of concern.  
b) To delete the existing Eleventh Schedule of the Food Regulations and substitute with a 
new Eleventh Schedule which specifies the revised microbiological standard for ready -
to-eat food:  
 
ELEVENTH SCHEDULE  
MICROBIOLOGI CAL STANDARD FOR FOOD  
 
 G/TBT/N/SGP/39  
 
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Part I: Total Plate Count  
Type of Food  Colony forming unit / 
gram  
(cfu/g)   
Category 1 :  
 
Shelf-stable canned, retort and ultra -high temperature 
processed foods  subjected to sterilisation or equivalent 
processing  
  
 
<10 (liquid  foods) and   
<102 (solid  foods)  
Category 2:  
 
(a) Sweetened condensed milk  
  
 
(a) <103 
(b) Ready -to-eat foods (not in categories 1 & 4) in which most 
components are cooked without intention for further 
processing or heating before consumption; this may include 
pasteuris ed food which are shelf stable or may require 
refrigeration; or non -fermented dairy products and dairy -
based desserts; or sauces; or bakery and confectionery 
products; or powdered foods  
 (b) <105 
Category 3:  
 
Ready -to-eat foods (not in categories 1, 2 and 4)  that are 
consumed raw or that contain a significant amount of raw 
ingredients in the final food product  
  
 
<106 
Category 4:  
 
Fresh fruits and vegetables, fruits and vegetables juices which 
have not been subjected to pasteurisation or equivalent 
processi ng, fermented food products, preserved food products 
(including salted  or pickled food products), dried foods, 
yoghurts, ripened cheeses, foods containing probiotics; foods 
containing a significant portion of these ingredients in the final 
food product  
  
 
Not applicable  
Category 5:  
 
All other ready -to-eat foods not specified above   
 
<105 
 
Part II: Coliforms and Escherichia coli  
Type of Food  Coliform count  
 Escherichia coli 
count  
 
 Colony forming 
unit/ gram  
(cfu/g)  Colony forming 
unit/ gram  
(cfu/g)  
Milk powder (including full -cream, half cream, 
skimmed milk and infant formula), buttermilk 
powder, pasteurised milk and ice cream  < 5.0 X 102 < 102 
All other ready -to-eat food  Not applicable  <102 
 
 
 G/TBT/N/SGP/39  
 
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Part III: Pathogens  
Pathogens  Colony forming unit /gram  
(cfu/g)  
Coagulase -positive Staphylococcus aureus  <102 
Bacillus cereus  <2.0 X 102 
Clostridium perfringens  <102 
Vibrio parahaemolyticus  
 Not detected in 25g  
(except for raw ready -to-eat 
seafood where limit is < 102) 
Vibrio vulnificus ,  
Vibrio cholerae  Not detected in 25g  
Salmonella  spp. Not detected in 25g  
Shigella  spp. Not detected in 25g  
Listeria monocytogenes  Not detected in 25g  
Campylobacter  spp. Not detected in 25g  
Escherichia coli O157:H7  Not detected in 25g  
All other pathogens not stated a bove, 
including  Streptococcus agalactiae  (serotype III)  Not detected  
While there is no relevant international standard for this measure, the " Codex Principles for 
the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods (CAC/GL 21 -1997)"  
has been referenced.  
Further, Singapore notes that the revised microbiological standard for ready -to-eat food 
would be trade facilitative for most products compared to the existing standard. Hence, we 
plan to implement the measure one month after the close o f the comment period in 
November  2017. However, we are ready to provide a longer transition period if such a 
need is identified during the comment period.  
(The above amendment is also notified via SPS notification)  
7. Objective and rationale , including th e nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
Protection of human health  
8. Relevant documents:  None  
9. Proposed date of adoption: November 2017  
Proposed date of entry into force: November 2017  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  G/TBT/N/SGP/39  
 
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  11. Texts available from : National enquiry point  [X] or address, telephone and fax 
number s and e mail and website address es, if available , of other body:   
The 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")  
 
Alternatively, please write in to:  
Regulatory Administration Group  
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority  
52 Jurong Gate way Road #14 -01 
Singapore 608550  
Tel: +(65) 6805 2912  
Fax: +(65) 6334 1831  
E-mail: WTO_Contact@ava.gov.sg , adelene_yap@ava.gov.sg