PRE-PACKED FOOD PRODUCTS

Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for the Environment whether he will ensure that all pre-packed food products have the manufacturers' names and factory addresses on their packaging.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: The Sale of Food Act requires locally manufactured pre-packed food products to be labelled and show the name and address of the manufacturer or packer. This has been in force since 1974.

For imported pre-packed food products, the name and address of the local importer, distributor or agent, together with the name of the country of origin must be shown on the labels of the imported prepacked food products. The name and address of the foreign manufacturer are not required. The information provided on the label will be sufficient for the Food Control Department to trace the source of the food supply.

Regular checks are made on the labelling of food products when our officers visit retail outlets on inspection rounds, or when complaints are received. Those who violate this requirement can be fined up to $1,000 for the first offence and up to $2,000 for the subsequent offences.