Company fined S$8,000 for illegally importing food products from Malaysia
The illegal consignments seized by authorities included fresh vegetables. (Photo: SFA)
SINGAPORE: A company has been fined S$8,000 for illegally importing food products from Malaysia, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Wednesday (Nov 17).
During a joint operation on Mar 23 at Woodlands Command, ICA officers detained a truck carrying food produce consigned to Sunny Wholesale.
Authorities found that Ng Kai Hong, the licensee of Sunnyland Wholesale, illegally imported about 1,756kg of undeclared and under-declared fresh fruits and vegetables.
The consignments also included 40kg of undeclared processed vegetables. All the illegal consignments were seized, said the authorities in the joint media release.
The authorities added that food imports in Singapore must meet SFA’s requirements.
Fruits and vegetables can only be imported by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied with a valid import permit.
“Illegally imported vegetables are of unknown sources and can pose a food safety risk," they said.
"The long-term ingestion of excessive pesticide residues through the consumption of vegetables that have been subjected to pesticide abuse could lead to adverse health effects."
Those who illegally import fresh fruits and vegetables can be fined up to S$10,000, jailed up to three years, or both. The offence of illegally importing processed food carries a fine of up to S$1,000.
