G/SPS/N/SGP/52  
 
14 February 2014  
(14-0883)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: SINGAPORE 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Food 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document: Draft Food (Amendment) Regulations 2014  
Language(s): English  Number of pages:   
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 allow the use of the following new food additives: 
i. Chromium picolinate as a nutrient source of chromium (under the Seventh 
Schedule). 
ii. Serine protease (trypsin) from a genetically modified strain of Fusarium 
venenatum  (under the Eighth Schedule). 
iii. Polygalacturonase from Aspergillus niger  (under the Eighth Schedule). 
iv. Invertase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae  (under the Eighth Schedule). 
b) To specify a maximum limit for mercury in predatory fish: 
Singapore proposes to specify a maximum level of 1 ppm for total mercury in predatory fish and their products.  
c) To allow the use of phytosterols, phytosterol esters, phytostanols and phytostanols 
in more food products. 
The addition of phytosterols/phytostanols is currently limited to only three groups of 
food products: low fat milk, low fat yog hurt, and fat spreads. AVA has conducted a 
review and noted that the Joint FAO/WHO Ex pert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) 
and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) have found no safety issues for the consumption of phytosterols/phytostanols by the general public. As such, there is no 
need to continue restricting the use of these substances. Nonetheless, the use of 
phytosterols is proposed to be limited to the following foods to ensure that phytosterols are not added to foods that have the potential to increase blood cholesterol levels: 
i. edible vegetable fats and oils containing not more than 20g of saturated fat 
per 100g total fat, and margarine and fat spread containing not more than 27g 
of saturated fat per 100g total fat; and 
ii. other foods containing not more than 3g of total fat per 100g or 1.5g of total 
fat per 100ml. G/SPS/N/SGP/52 
 
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  7. Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) Codex General Standard for Food Additives 
(CODEX STAN 192-1995), Codex General Standard for Contaminants in Food (CODEX STAN 193-1995) 
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[X] Yes   [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: None   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 1 June 2014 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 1 June 2014 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 1 June 2014 
[X] Trade facilitating measure  (approval of use of new food additives and 
ingredients)  
12. Final date for comments: [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 15 April 2014 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
13. Texts available from: [ ] National Notifi cation Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
The proposed regulations will be made available at the following website:  
http://www.ava.gov.sg/Legisla tion/ListOfLegislation/  
Alternatively, please write in to: 
Regulatory Administration Group 
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority 5 Maxwell Road #18-00 Tower Block MND Complex 
Singapore 069110 
Tel: +(65) 6325 3092 Fax: +(65) 6220 6068 
E-mail: low_teng_yong@ava.gov.sg