Consultation on Regulation of Insect and Insect Products

Singapore Food Agency

Consultation Period: 17 Oct 2022 - 04 Dec 2022

Status: Closed

Detailed Description

Consultation on Regulation of Insect and Insect Products (Imports And Locally Farmed/Processed)

Aim

1. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is seeking feedback from the food and animal feed industry, as well as interested parties, on the proposal to allow insects for human consumption and as animal feed¹, subject to specific food safety requirements and conditions. This applies to both imported, as well as locally farmed and processed insects.

Background

2. The import and sale of insects as food for human consumption is presently not allowed, while the import and sale of animal feed containing insects is currently permitted under the Feeding Stuffs Act (FSA). SFA currently permits only approved substrates² for use (mainly homogenous plant-based waste) on insects for animal feed.

3. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has completed a review of the regulatory position for insects and insect products. With this, SFA will permit the import and sale of insects and insect products for human consumption and animal feed, subject to the import conditions (paragraph 6) for imports, and additional pre-licensing requirements (paragraphs 7 and 8) for local farming and processing of insects and insect products. 

4. These changes will allow industry more flexibility to produce insects in a safe and sustainable way, particularly in the range of substrates which can be used. Consumers would also have access to safe insect food products.

5. Presently, there are no international standards set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission or the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) for insects as food or animal feed. SFA’s proposed import conditions and additional pre-licensing requirements for farming and processing in Singapore are based on four identified key points to ensure safety of the insects and insect products:

     a. Species of insect is safe for human consumption
     b. Prevent the introduction of diseases and contaminants
     c. Substrate used must not impart contaminants to the insects
     d. The final product is safe for consumption

Import conditions for insect and insect products imported into Singapore:

6. The following conditions in Table 1 of Annex will apply to the import of insects and insect products, depending on their intended purpose (i.e., farming, human consumption, or animal feed).

     • For import for human consumption: S/N 1, 2, 5, 6 will apply
     • For import for animal feed: S/N 1, 2 will apply
     • For import for farming (for human consumption): S/N 3, 4, 5, 7 will apply
     • For import for farming (for animal feed): S/N 3, 4, 7 will apply

Insect farming for human consumption/ animal feed (Additional pre-licensing requirements for farms)

7. For insect farming in Singapore, in addition to the existing pre-licensing requirements applicable to the relevant farming activities (farming for human consumption³ or farming for animal feed⁴), the following additional pre-licensing requirements in Table 2 of Annex will apply.  

Processing of insects for human consumption (Additional pre-licensing requirements for food processing establishments)

8. For processing of insect and insect products in Singapore, for human consumption, in addition to the existing requirements and conditions for food processing establishments⁵, the following additional pre-licensing requirements in Table 3 of Annex will apply. 

Compliance with food regulations

9. In addition to the import conditions and additional pre-licensing requirements in paragraphs 6 to 8, all farming, processing and sale of insect and insect products for human consumption shall comply with Singapore’s Food Regulations.

Request for comments

10. SFA invites views and comments on the import conditions and additional pre-licensing requirements detailed in paragraphs 6 to 8. All submissions should be clearly and concisely written and should provide a reasoned explanation for any proposed revisions.

11. Submissions should reach SFA no later than 6:00 p.m., 4 December 2022, through mail, or email to the following addresses:  

Mail:
Risk Management & Surveillance Department
Joint Operations Division
Singapore Food Agency
52 Jurong Gateway Road #14-01
Singapore 608550
(Attention: Ms Low Yi Lin)

Emails:
LOW_YI_LIN@SFA.GOV.SG
CHIN_XIU_WEN@SFA.GOV.SG

¹ Animal feed refers to feed for food producing animals. This includes livestock feed (i.e., for goats, cows, poultry etc.) and aquaculture feed (i.e., for food fish and crustaceans), and excludes feed intended for pets or for non-food producing animals.

² Substrate refers to the material on which insects live on. It is usually the insect’s food.

³ For Insect Farming for Human Consumption: This is in addition to the existing pre-licensing requirements and conditions related to starting a farm (i.e. general good farming practices and biosecurity).

⁴ For Insect Farming for Animal Feed: This is in addition to the existing pre-licensing requirements and conditions related to the manufacture and process of animal feed. Processing insects for animal feed is included under this category.

⁵ For processing of insects for human consumption, existing requirements and conditions for food processing establishments will apply.

Annex - Consultation on Regulation of Insect and Insect Products [PDF, 160 KB]