G/SPS/N/SGP/56  
 
27 October 2015  
(15-5684)  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 2015  
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 include a requirement that products labelled as "organic" (or similar terms) must 
be certified as organic under an inspection and certification system that complies 
with the Codex Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods, GL 32-1999; or equivalent; 
b) To allow the use of the sweetening agent Advantame in food under good 
manufacturing practice; 
c) To include "veterinary drugs" under the definition for "Incidental constituents" 
(Regulation 29), and to include a definition for "veterinary drugs"; 
d) To prohibit the import, sale and advertisement of raw milk for direct human 
consumption; 
e) To allow the use of Bovine lactoferrin in infant formula, up to a maximum permitted 
level of 100mg/100ml; 
f) To allow the use of the generic term "Modified Starches", if referring to the following 
modified starches, for labelling purposes: 
o Dextrin roasted starch, Acid-treated starch, Alkaline-treated starch, Bleached 
starch, Oxidised starch, Enzyme-treated starch, Monostarch phosphate, Distarch phosphate, Phosphated distarch phosph ate, Acetylated distarch phosphate, 
Starch acetate, Acetylated distarch adipate, Hydroxypropyl starch, 
Hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate, Starch sodium octenyl succinate, Acetylated oxidised starch; 
g) To make editorial amendments to existing regulations 9, 12, 30(3) and 38, to 
update the terms used, as well as to spell out the provisions in a clearer format. 
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.   G/SPS/N/SGP/56 
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial  n u m b e r  o f  C o d e x  
standard or related text) Codex General Standard for the Labelling of 
Prepackaged Foods (CODEX STAN 1-1985), Codex Guidelines For The 
Production, Processing, Labelling And Marketing Of Organically Produced Foods (GL 32-1999) 
[ ] 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) : 30 December 2015 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 30 December 2015 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 30 December 2015 
[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) : 26 December 2015 
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. Text(s) 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 52 Jurong Gateway 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