EXCESSIVE ANTIBIOTICS IN IMPORTED POULTRY(Increase in statutory penalty)

Mr Chin Harn Tong asked the Minister for National Development how does his Ministry ensure that imported poultry do not contain excessive antibiotics and whether he will consider increasing the statutory penalty to deter persons from circumventing or trying to circumvent the ban on excessive antibiotics.

The Minister of State for National Development (Mr Peter Sung) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister.

All meat and meat products are imported into Singapore from approved sources. And for these sources to be approved, they have to meet certain criteria including having safe amounts of antibiotics.

The checking process involves the withdrawal of antibiotics from the animals so that when they are slaughtered, there is not an excessive amount of residue in the meat. This requirement is imposed on all sources except those in Peninsular Malaysia which is our traditional source of supply of live poultry.

To give better protection to our local consumers, the Primary Production Department is at present discussing with its Malaysian counterparts the introduction of an accreditation scheme for poultry, similar to that for pigs. The scheme will require all farms to follow good husbandry practices which will minimise the residue problem in poultry.

With the phasing out of poultry slaughter in wet markets, poultry will soon be slaughtered in approved abattoirs. The Primary Production Department will conduct checks at these abattoirs to ensure that the poultry are safe for human consumption. Those farms that are found to produce poultry with excessive amounts of drug residues will be banned from further exporting to Singapore.

Mr Chin Harn Tong (Aljunied GRC): Sir, will the Ministry consider drawing up measures to require Singapore importers and wholesalers of poultry containing excessive antibiotics to compensate persons who have been medically certified to have been harmed through consuming such poultry?

Mr Peter Sung: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Primary Production Department does not have any record of persons in large numbers who have been so affected. But if there is a widespread problem of people who are so affected, we will study the problem and see what appropriate measures should be taken.