Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon.

Singapore is known internationally as a food paradise. We enjoy delicious food of all varieties, be it hawker food, restaurant feasts or fine dining. Good food is so readily available that eating has become the common pastime of Singaporeans. This is made possible because we enjoy a steady supply of food throughout the year at affordable prices, despite the fact that we produce very little food.

We import our food from all over the globe. Stringent food screening and regulations have helped us to achieve high food safety standards. Yet, we should not be oblivious to food safety problems happening around the world. As more varieties and sources of food become available to us, the more exposed we are to potential health risks from unsafe food.

Modern farming methods may pose public health risks, particularly emerging food borne pathogens and harmful chemical residues. They affect food produced to meet the demands of the mass markets around the world. The dioxin incident in 1999 was one example of how contaminated animal feed resulted in markets having to recall milk and diary products off their shelves.

Clearly, food safety is becoming an increasingly important public health issue. What can we do to counter the undesirable effects of unsafe food?

We must realise that food safety is a continuum, from the farm to the fork, and that it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure food safety.

Upstream, the Government will ensure that the food imported into Singapore is safe. Our Agri-food & Veterinary Authority, or AVA in short, has put in place a comprehensive and integrated food safety system to ensure that our food safety requirements meet international standards. A stringent process of reviews, inspections, laboratory testing, accreditation and surveillance of farms, abattoirs and food-processing factories helps to minimize the food safety risks that we might face.

At the beginning of this month, AVA has expanded its ambit to regulate the safety of both imported and locally produced food until just before they reach the retail market. AVA will set and enforce food safety standards and oversee food labeling. This way, AVA can keep tabs on our food supply chain from farm to fork, not only for primary produce but also processed food.

Our food suppliers and retailers also have a role to play in ensuring food safety. You have a responsibility to practise good food production and risk management procedures, cleanliness and hygiene. Your customers demand no less than the best as far as food safety is concerned.

What can you do as a consumer? Take, for example, simple, everyday tasks like buying, storing and handling food. Make sure that what you buy has been properly refrigerated or iced, or it could become a breeding ground for food-poisoning bacteria. If the food doesn’t look or smell fresh, don’t buy it. Washing fruits and vegetables is a good habit that helps remove pollutants and dirt. Likewise, you can minimize cross-contamination through proper kitchen hygiene. By practising good food handling and hygiene methods at home, you will be able to keep food safe from harmful bacteria that cause food borne illnesses.

AVA is embarking on a Food Safety Awareness Programme to heighten public awareness that food safety is a shared responsibility. The Programme will consist of media publicity, community outreach, as well as collaborations with the food trade.

AVA has organized this exhibition to launch its Food Safety Awareness Programme. With a whole host of activities for the young and old, the exhibition aims to drive home the message that food safety is everyone’s concern, and that ultimately all of us are responsible for our own health. I hope all of you will take this opportunity to pick up a few useful tips on how to handle, prepare and store food, and be a more informed consumer.

Let’s work together to continue to maintain high standards of food safety in Singapore. With that, I declare the launch of AVA’s Food Safety Awareness Programme.

Thank you.