SINGAPORE: Greenyard Food Industries Pte Ltd was fined $7,500 by the Court today for illegally importing fresh and processed produce for sale. Its Director, Fang Kai Bung, was also fined $5,500 for failing to prevent the offence from being committed.
On 19 January 2022, a truck carrying food produce consigned to Greenyard Food Industries Pte Ltd was stopped and referred for checks during a joint operation conducted by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at Woodlands Checkpoint. The truck was then referred to SFA for follow-up inspection.
SFA’s investigation found that the company illegally imported approximately 324kg of undeclared and under-declared fresh fruits and vegetables, and about 11kg of undeclared processed food from Malaysia. All the illegal consignments were seized.
In Singapore, food imports 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 from unknown sources can pose a food safety risk (e.g. if unregulated or high level of pesticides are used). The long-term ingestion of excessive pesticide residue through the consumption of vegetables that have been subjected to pesticide abuse could lead to adverse health effects.
The authorities said that offenders who illegally import fresh fruits and vegetables shall be liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years. Offenders who illegally import processed fruits and vegetables shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and in the case of a subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $2,000.
ICA said that safeguarding Singapore’s borders remains top priority for it and that it will continue to conduct security checks to detect and deter illegal importation attempts so as to keep Singapore safe.
SFA said it will continue to safeguard food safety through our integrate food safety system, which includes strict import regulations and enforcement, and work closely with border control agencies to deter illegal imports across Singapore’s borders.
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