Singapore Government Press Release
Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts,
36th Storey, PSA Building, 460 Alexandra Road, Singapore 119963.
Tel: 3757794/5
____________________________________________________________
JOINT NEWS RELEASE BY ENV AND PPD
SUSPENSION ON NORWEGIAN FOOD PRODUCTS LIFTED
The Primary Production Department (PPD) and the Ministry of the Environment (ENV) have now allowed retailers and supermarkets to resume the sale of current stocks of canned meat and all food derived from livestock from Norway such as egg and egg-based products, milk and dairy products, chocolates, biscuits, pasta and processed meat. The PPD and ENV are satisfied with Norway’s assurance that they have not imported tainted animal feed and tainted meat and produce from Belgium and consequently their food products are not contaminated with dioxin.
2 PPD and ENV will also allow import and sale of meat, livestock products and food products from other European countries if they can give us similar assurances. Alternatively, food manufacturers themselves could track and produce information with endorsement from the relevant government authorities to show that their products are not made from dioxin-tainted meat or livestock products.
3 This year, Singapore imported 1.4 tonnes of canned beef and canned pork valued at $12,000 from Norway.
What importers and distributors can do to resume sale of affected products
4 The PPD and ENV are working closely with the importers and distributors of the suspended European food products to facilitate their efforts in certifying the safety of their products so that sale of these products could be resumed as soon as possible.
Importers and distributors are required to obtain confirmation of the safety of their food products from the food authorities of the countries of the products’ origin or from the manufacturers themselves that the products are not contaminated with dioxin. If the authority from a country or the manufacturer with endorsement from the authority in the exporting country can certify that it has not imported feed made from the contaminated fats from Belgium and produce that are linked to affected farms, then the PPD and ENV will also allow all food manufactured in that country to be sold. Unless such confirmation is given to the PPD or ENV, the sale of the affected products cannot be allowed in the interest of public health.
5 The ENV had earlier sent out a statement to all importers and distributors of the suspended food products advising them what they should do before their products can be allowed for sale again. The ENV has also met several distributors of the infant milk industry and we have advised them on what they should do to get their products certified safe for resumption of sale. The ENV will also be meeting the importers and distributors in a dialogue session today in case there are still doubts as to what they should do.
6 The public can call the following Hotlines for further clarifications:
For enquiries on chilled/frozen meat (beef, mutton, chicken, pork),
Canned and processed meat (e.g. sausages and ham),
Egg products (e.g. egg powder and liquid eggs).
For enquiries on dairy products and confectionery (eg. milk powder, milk, cream, cheese, butter, ice-cream, yoghurt, chocolates, cakes and biscuits).
Issued by: Ministry of the Environment
Primary Production Department
News release No 52/99
10 Jun 99
(If you have any queries, please contact Mr Goh Shih Yong of PPD at Tel 3257645 or pager 94124860 or Mr Billy Chew(Pg 92027832)/Ms Michelle Tan of ENV at Tel 7319855/7319867)
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q1) What food products are safe for customers to buy?
European food products deriving from livestock and poultry that are manufactured before 20 Jan 99 are safe for consumption. These products include canned chicken and pork, chicken powder, chocolate, mayonnaise, fresh cream, ice cream, cakes/cookies, pies/pizza, pasta, milk and milk products (including butter, cheese, yoghurt infant food).
With effect from today, all products from Norway are safe for consumption.
Q2) What should customers look for when they buy a product to ensure that it is safe for consumption?
Customers should look for the country and date of the manufacture, although ENV officers would have required all un-saleable food to be taken off the shelf. . There are products which do not have the date of manufacture or the date is indicated in the form of a bar code. ENV has informed importers and retailers to ascertain with the manufacturers the date of manufacture and to indicate it either on the label or on the display shelf as an interim measure.
There are products with labels that state, for example, "c (with a circle), Societe des Produits Nestle S.A. Vevey, Switzerland. Trademark Owner. Made in Singapore". The former description is their trade mark while the latter indicates the country of manufacture. In cases where the country of manufacture is not clear, importers and retailers should check the products' origin and if they cannot determine it, they would have to remove them from the shelf.
Q3) Why are products manufactured before 20 Jan 99 safe for consumption?
We have established that the contamination of the animal feed in Belgium took place on 19 Jan 99.
Q4) Why was a wide ban on all European products deriving from livestock and poultry imposed?
When the dioxin contamination of animal feed in Belgium was known, ENV had directed all supermarkets and importers to recall all Belgian food products deriving from livestock and poultry. Initially as we were not totally clear about the situation with regards to livestock and livestock-derived products from the rest of Europe, we decided, as a precautionary measure, to recall all such European products from sale to the public. This action was taken in the interest of public health.
Q5) Why was the suspension sudden?
We have to take prompt action to ensure that any potentially unsafe food will not reach the consumers.
Q6) How do the authorities ensure that all suspended food products are taken off the shelf?
We have been conducting checks on retail outlets to ensure that they comply with the Ministry's directive and will continue to do so. Members of the public who come across such products in any retail outlets can contact ENV at Tel No. 1800 -7319222. ENV will advise the retailers to take the suspended products off the shelves immediately and if they do not, they may stand to have their products confiscated.
Q7) How do importers or food traders obtain approval from PPD/ENV to resume sale of the products?
Importers and distributors are required to obtain confirmation of the safety of their food products from the food authorities of the countries of the products’ origin or from the manufacturers themselves that the products are not contaminated with dioxin. If the authority from a country or the manufacturer with endorsement from the authority in the exporting country can certify that it has not imported feed made from the contaminated fats from Belgium and produce that are linked to affected farms, then the PPD and ENV will also allow all food manufactured in that country to be sold. Unless such confirmation is given to the PPD or ENV, the sale of the affected products cannot be allowed in the interest of public health.
Q8) When will the suspension on the rest of the European products be lifted?
.
This will depend on the importers and distributors getting the necessary certification as stated above.