Fishy BusinessDiscovering Hi-tech Ideas from Israel’s Farms

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Issue 4/2015 Scan QR Code to read the issue online

Food BitesLocal Food Factories Scale Greater Heights in Food Safety Excellence

1 SpecialSingapore’s Food Farms: A Short Story of ‘Then & Now’

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Made-in-Singapore food products are trusted locally and internationally for being safe and wholesome. Through AVA’s Food Factory Grading System, we ensure that food establishments observe good manufacturing practices. We also work hand-in-hand with local food establishments to raise the bar on food safety and hygiene standards.

AVA’s Food Safety Awards Night celebrates this partnership and recognises food

establishments’ efforts and achievements in consistently attaining the ‘A’ grade under AVA’s Food Factory Grading System. Deserving winners receive the Food Safety Excellence Awards, a prominent mark of recognition. Since its inception in 1995, the number of recipients has grown from 24 to an impressive 124 today.

On-site audit inspections are conducted at licensed local food establishments to determine

their grading status. The AVA inspector (left) also provides on-site advice to help proprietors

improve and upgrade their premises.

“The AVA officers who conducted routine checks were always encouraging. They often highlight areas of improvement that we can work on, which we appreciate. This has enabled us to raise

our standards even more and gain a better grade in the process.”

Mr Wu Jun Jie, Foodgnostic Pte Ltd

We speak to establishments that have recently been upgraded from the ‘B’ to ‘A’ grade, to learn their experience in successfully implementing improvements.

LOCAL FOOD FACTORIES SCALE GREATER HEIGHTS IN FOOD SAFETY EXCELLENCE

2 Food Bites

Foodgnostic Pte Ltd’s facility is HACCP-certified and the company is working towards certification in ISO 22000 food safety management systems by the end of 2015. (Photo: SPRING Singapore)

Forging Successful Public-

private Partnerships

Such developments are heartening and speak well of the collaborative efforts between AVA and the food industry. “Over the years, AVA officers have helped many food establishments improve their food safety grading,” said then Minister of State for National Development and Defence, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman during his speech at the Food Safety Awards Night on 30 Jul 2015. “In 2014, 14 establishments were upgraded from D to C, 39 from C to B, and 5 from B to A.”

Mr Wu Jun Jie of Foodgnostic Pte Ltd, one of the companies whose ‘B’ rating was upgraded to ‘A’, agreed. Thanks to the sound

recommendations of AVA officers arising from annual audit assessments, the company was able to implement effective measures to improve its factory cleanliness. “The AVA officers who conducted our routine checks were always encouraging,” said Mr Wu. “They often highlight areas of improvement that we can work on, which we appreciate. This has enabled us to raise our standards even more and gain a better grade in the process.”

Ms Belyn Ong, QA Manager for Kee Song Brothers Poultry Industries Pte Ltd was equally appreciative of the AVA team. Its upgrade from B to A was a pleasant surprise. It had recently expanded its slaughtering processing premises and did not expect to achieve an ‘A’ grade so quickly. “The team

“Singapore has an international reputation for stringency with regards to food safety standards and this, in addition to a strong reputation for cleanliness and quality, was one of the principal

reasons that TWG Tea established its headquarters in Singapore. The ‘made in Singapore’ brand is a stamp of excellence that is

recognised by our customers globally.”

Mr Rith Aum-Stievenard, Chief Operations Officer, TWG Tea Company Pte Ltd

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who have demonstrated commendable food safety assurance and food safety consumer education efforts in Singapore. There are a total of 12 Food Safety Partners to date.

Food safety is a shared responsibility so everyone has a role to play in maintaining high food safety standards. Moving forward, we will continue to work closely with the industry and consumers to raise public awareness and ensure food safety – from farm-to-fork.

Scan QR code for the list of Food Safety Excellence Awards 2015 winners.

Issue 4/2015

is proud to work in a ‘grade A’ establishment and we’re more committed than ever to maintain excellent food hygiene practices and proper food handling,” said Ms Ong.

TWG Tea Company Pte Ltd, an international luxury tea brand also found AVA’s expertise invaluable. “Singapore has an international reputation for stringency with regards to food safety standards and this, in addition to a strong reputation for cleanliness and quality, was one of the principal reasons that TWG Tea established its headquarters in Singapore,” explained Mr Rith Aum-Stievenard, TWG’s Chief Operations Officer. “The ‘made in Singapore’ brand is a stamp of excellence that is recognised by our customers globally.” Thanks to our AVA

officers’ recommendations, the TWG Tea team implemented new improvements and, just a year later, successfully obtained the ‘A’ grade.

Advocating Food Safety

Through Industry and

Public Education

Aside from encouraging the industry to strive towards food safety excellence, AVA also partners the private sector to set up initiatives aimed at educating the public on food safety awareness. One such project is the Food Safety Partnership Scheme. Established in 2003, this scheme serves as a platform to recognise food manufacturers and importers, supermarket operators and food retailers

TWG Tea Company ensures that both existing and new employees are trained in food safety, and are familiar with AVA’s requirements, the HACCP system, and Good Manufacturing Practices. (Photo: TWG)

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THE ABC’S OF SUPPORTING LOCAL PRODUCE

Food Bites

For the freshest produce, go local. Supporting local produce is as easy as ABC!

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Technology and innovation play a powerful role in Israel’s aquaculture sector, which, like Singapore, faces a manpower crunch. The Israeli government and industry have been working in partnership to drive research and development (R&D) and develop cutting-edge innovations that reduce reliance on manpower. For instance, repetitive activities such as water quality monitoring and daily feeding are automated while labour-intensive processes including grading and harvesting are replaced by technologies such as fish grading, harvesting and processing machinery.

Local farmers such as The Fish Farmer Pte Ltd have expressed an interest in purchasing the live fish harvester equipment, seen in Israel during a technology sourcing trip organised by AVA on 26-29 April 2015. Unlike typical harvesters, this equipment utilises the screw elevator principle, which features a gentle rotating action that spins fishes and water upwards. This technology reduces bruising to the fish compared to the traditional suction method. The company views the harvester as an ideal solution to help it scale up its production more efficiently. “The automated harvester is interesting

DISCOVERING HI-TECH IDEAS FROM ISRAEL’S FARMS

AVA and the aquaculture industry explore innovations that will raise productivity and reduce manpower needs in fish farms.

Screw elevator harvester

Fishy Business

because it can harvest large quantities of fish without damaging them,” said its CEO, Mr Malcolm Ong. “By employing technology for such manual processes, we can free up much-needed manpower and redirect it to other critical tasks, raising overall productivity.” Local farmers keen to adopt such technologies, which are still not widely practised in Singapore, are encouraged to tap on the Agriculture Productivity Fund to help defray the costs.

“The trip was a real eye opener,” added Mr Ong. “We even saw how the Israelis were able to farm fish in the desert! This exposure to new farming methods has broadened my knowledge and enabled me to start exploring new technology for my own farm. Equally important were the new contacts that I have made, which have widened my network considerably.”

“The automated harvester is interesting because it can

harvest large quantities of fish without damaging them. By employing technology for such manual processes, we can free up much-needed manpower and redirect it to other

critical tasks, raising overall productivity.”

Mr Malcolm Ong, CEO, The Fish Farmer Pte Ltd

Screw elevator harvester with autograder

6 Special

The world can learn from Singapore’s success stories. Singapore has made efforts particularly, to maximise productivity from very limited land

resources. Commercial indoor and rooftop vegetable farms are opening and other urban and peri-urban agricultural initiatives are taking shape.

Dr Graziano da Silva, Director-General,Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, 2014

SINGAPORE’S FOOD FARMS:

50 years in 500 words, 15 photosA Story of ‘Then & Now’

In the early years, agriculture provided an important source of income for Singaporeans. By 1970, about 175,400 people (9% of the total population)1 were actively engaged in agricultural activities, or were indirectly dependent on farming and fishing for a living. Their traditional methods of farming or harvesting were inefficient and laborious. Before AVA was formed, the Primary Production Department (PPD)2 had been providing farmers around the island with extension services, training, and various assistance schemes. Our research and development (R&D) in areas such as production methods, animal nutrition, and disease control also benefitted farmers.

With growing population, urbanisation, and industrialisation, the industry restructured from subsistence to intensive mode of farming. The cultivation of rubber and fruit trees, tobacco, and fodder grass, along with poultry, pig, goat, and cattle farms, gradually made way for the focused production of key food items – vegetable, fish, and egg. In the 1980s and 1990s, Agrotechnology Parks were developed to house modern and productive commercial farms that produce a measure of safe and fresh food.

Into the 21st century, our agricultural landscape is vastly transformed. Innovation, technology, and automation are adopted by farmers to increase yields. With lesser farmland available, more than 90 percent of the food we eat is imported. In the event that overseas food supplies become unstable, it pays to have a level of self-sufficiency to tide us over the shortage. There continues to be a need to strike a balance between demands for limited land and sea space, so farms need to constantly upgrade themselves and raise productivity.

1. In 2014, about 9% of the population was employed in the Community, Social & Personal Services sector, which hired the highest number of residents in Singapore. (Singapore in Figures 2015)

2. PPD, formed in 1959, was restructured into AVA, a statutory board, in 2000.

In 2000, AVA assumed PPD’s mandate to ensure food supply resilience, food safety, animal health and welfare, and plant health. We continue to build firm and effective partnerships with farmers to promote local production. This includes conducting R&D on breeding, nutrition, disease control, production systems, and post-harvest technology. These technologies are transferred to farmers, who also receive technical assistance and funding support from AVA. We also encourage them to adopt Good Agricultural Practices that are aligned with internationally recognised standards.

In this special photo story, AVA Vision bringsyou a glimpse of how technology has helpedtransform the farming of eggs, vegetables, and fish in Singapore over 50 years. For a more comprehensive showcase of PPD and AVA’s heritage, download a free copy of the e-book Celebrating AVA’s Excellence through the Years.

EGG FARMING

1. In the 1960s and 1970s, Singaporeans either kept chickens in their backyards or in larger commercially viable farms. Farming was done manually.

2. In 1968, there were thousands of chicken layer farms of various sizes. They produced 315 million eggs that year.

3. Now, farms are located in Agrotechnology Parks that are well-equipped with modern infrastructure and facilities. Automation is deployed, from the stages of packing to cleaning of cages, to increase productivity.

4. Today, there are 3 hi-tech egg farms in Singapore. Together, they produced 433 million eggs in 2014.

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VEGETABLE FARMING

5. In the 1960s, traditional methods of vegetable gardening were followed, such as the preparation of raised

beds, elaborate procedures of sowing, morning-and-evening watering, and frequent hand weeding.

6. The majority of Singapore’s farmers were engaged in intensive market gardening of fresh vegetables.

7. Modern vegetable farms today use automation to save time and costs.

For example, solar energy is used to automate ventilation fans and

supplementary lighting. Irrigation is done via overhead sprinklers.

8. Automation is employed in the stages of seeding and packaging. Photo shows a mechanised mixer cum compacter that requires only 1 instead of 3 workers to loosen peat moss daily.

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(Photo: Panasonic Factory Solutions Asia Pacific)

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9. Vertical farming is a good way to achieve better land-use efficiency. Using a unique water-pulley system, troughs of vegetables are automatically rotated on an aluminium frame to ensure they receive uniform sunlight, irrigation, and nutrients.

10. Companies are also exploring vertical farming to grow leafy vegetables indoors. In a controlled environment, vegetables can be grown under LED and fluorescent lighting. AVA is also developing an automatic indoor multi-tier seedling production system that has the potential to

increase productivity by 4 times and reduce water usage by 90%.

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11. In the 1970s, PPD began to encourage kelong operators to venture into cage-net cultivation of fishes. Photo shows a floating cage-net structure with movable pontoon attachment for culture of groupers and other marine fish.

12. In the 1960s, the main inshore fishing methods were kelongs and other fixed traps, various types of lines, beach seines, drift nets and push nets.

13. Today, movable pontoon attachments are replaced with upgraded versions such as the modular floating high-density polyethylene cube cage. These cages are easier to assemble and maintain, thus reducing manpower needs.

14. Aquaculture in the 21st century embraces automation and technology to reduce the reliance on manpower. Through the Recirculating Aquaculture System, water can be re-used for fish culturing through multi-level water treatment processes. It also protects fishes against adverse environmental conditions when farmed indoors.

15. Today’s coastal fish farmers raise productivity of high quality fish with the use of automatic fish feeders, graders, as well as water monitoring and aeration equipment. Photo shows a farm equipped with automatic fish feeders.

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FISHFARMING

10 Animal Agenda

Singapore has been rabies-free since 1953 – an impressive achievement given that thousands of dogs and cats enter the country each year. But that’s no reason to let our guard down, especially since rabies is endemic in our neighbouring countries. You can also join in the good fight – find out what rabies is, how to identify it and how we can continue to keep Singapore rabies-free!

KEEPING SINGAPORE RABIES-FREE

The Warning Signs of Rabies

If you suspect that an animal or pet has rabies, here’s what you should look out for:

• Unsteady movement such as staggering or stumbling

• Excessive drooling

• Nervous or aggressive behaviour or any other abnormal behaviour

BUT none of these symptoms are definitivesigns. Often, you can’t tell by looking.

Get the Facts Right about Rabies

• A viral disease affecting the central nervous system

• One of the deadliest diseases on earth, with a 99.9% death rate

• Usually transmitted through saliva/scratch of infected mammal

• Can be spread to humans

All mammals can be infected with rabies. However, dogs are responsible for most of the human cases of rabies worldwide.

How AVA Keeps Singapore

Rabies-free

AVA imposes strict import conditions and quarantine requirements on animal imports from rabies-affected countries such as:

• Pre-export rabies vaccinations

• Blood testing

• Post-arrival quarantine

Countries are also categorised based on the inherent risks of rabies infection. To prevent illegal animal imports, we work closely with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority of Singapore and Police Coast Guard to keep a lookout for animal smugglers. We also have in place a rabies contingency plan, which includes a ready stockpile of rabies vaccines, to deal with any potential outbreaks.

Do Your Part!

• Get your pet from legal and reputable sources. If you’re bringing in animals from overseas, you need to apply for an import permit from AVA.

• Dog owners – it is compulsory for you to get a licence and microchip for your pet. This way, they can be easily traced and identified for rabies control.

2/3 of countries in the world are still affected

deaths per year worldwide

of human cases of rabies are due to dog bites

11Corporate Cuts

KORBAN 2015: HEALTHY LIVESTOCK FROM MORE SOURCES

AVA continues tomaintain high standardsof food safety and animalwelfare for the annualKorban rituals.

Thanks to the collective efforts of AVA, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), and other industry stakeholders, Korban, a major religious sacrificial rite observed by the local Muslim community, was successfully held on 24 September 2015. This Islamic rite of worship involves the slaughtering of sheep and goats, and distributing the meat to the poor and needy.

As the agency responsible for Singapore’s resilience in food supply and the national authority for food safety, animal health and welfare, AVA plays a key role in this annual event. We ensure that there is a sufficient supply of healthy livestock for the Korban rites and facilitate the diversification of animal imports to mitigate any disruption in supply. Through our regulatory control of the supply chain – from the point of import to slaughter – the entire process is kept in line with international animal welfare practices.

Currently, Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Japan, and the USA have been approved to export livestock to Singapore for Korban rituals. While Australia remains the primary source of livestock for Korban in Singapore, this year’s supply saw a combination of 1,855 lambs from Ireland and 1,980 sheep from Australia. A total of 3,835 animals were sacrificed at 25 mosques and two Malay- Muslim organisations.

Maintaining High

Standards

Only sources that meet AVA’s animal health and food safety standards are allowed to export livestock to Singapore. We adhere to an accreditation process and only import livestock after the country’s animal health and veterinary public health system, as well as the management of the proposed export farm,

has been evaluated. AVA conducts checks on the infrastructure and operations set-up at the slaughter venues. Our stringent checks continue even after the livestock arrives in Singapore. AVA officers perform health and documentary checks on the animals upon arrival, as well as conduct inspections at various stages of the supply chain to ensure animal welfare, control, and traceability.

Partnership and Training

Besides accreditation, checks, and inspections, public-community-private partnerships are also crucial for every successful Korban. AVA officers worked together with our counterparts from MUIS, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as members of the public to train key coordinators, slaughter-men, animal handlers, and butchers prior to Korban. In addition, we provided briefing and hands-on training on animal welfare, animal handling techniques, set-up of facilities, and food safety.

We are constantly reviewing the training programmes and enlarging the pool of trained personnel. A system to identify and retain trained key officers for subsequent Korbans is already in the works.

AVA Scores a Win

In recognition of AVA’s efforts in facilitating the annual Korban event, we were presented with the Minister’s Award (Team) at the MND National Day Observance ceremony on 6 August 2015.

Going forward, we will continue to work closely with our partner agencies to strengthen the supply of livestock, safeguard public health, and maintain animal welfare standards.

This year’s supply for the Korban ritual saw a combination of 1,855 lambs from Ireland and 1,980 sheep from Australia. (Photo: JKMS)

“AVA officers were there with us from the start, from planning for the tender documentation right through to actual operations. The close working

relationship gave assurance to the exporting country’s authority that their livestock will be well taken care of in accordance to international animal

welfare standards. Our annual Korban exercise is improved year on year as a result of the close partnership with AVA.”

Mr Rashid Ramli,Chairman of the Singapore Mosques Korban Committee (JKMS) 2015

AVA Vision is the corporate publication of the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore. No material may be produced in part or whole without written consent of AVA. www.ava.gov.sg

EditorNicole Liang Huimei

ContributorsDr Alwyn Tan, Dr Audrey Chen, Dr Han Zi Yang, Dr Neo He Sheng, Lynn Yee, Ong Xuan Feng, Yap Pao-Jui

Editorial AssistantsMavis Lim, Hayley Kwang

Editorial CommitteeAdvisors Dr Choo Li Nah, Elaine PongMembers Alan Tan, Ang Yit Beng, Helen Phang, Jannie Wan, Joan Chen, Lai Hwee Choo, Philomen Siew, Ronel Jabonero, Tan Jiawen

Corporate Cuts

PACK IT RIGHT, KEEP IT FRESH!

Get the latest on best practices for post-harvest handling of vegetables.

AVA has launched a new guidebook, ‘Good Handling Practices in Packing House for Vegetables’ to help the industry do just that. Through this guidebook, packing house operators can adopt a set of consolidated best practices to ensure the highest standards of safety, quality and wholesomeness of their produce. Aside from post-harvest handling techniques, the guide also covers good cold chain management such as how operators can best design the facilities of their packing house to achieve optimal effects. In addition, it contains advice on how to establish effective internal control systems for hygiene, sanitation, maintenance and monitoring.

To complement the launch of this guidebook, an industry seminar was organised to provide insights into the best practices for cold chain systems, Good Manufacturing Practices and research findings on the pre-cooling of fresh produce. Benefits of the air purification system, an useful innovation for participants looking to prolong the shelf life of their fresh produce, were also covered. In addition, attendees were able to experience first-hand the latest packing houseand cold store technologies offered by various service providers.

To download your free copy, scan this QR code!

Singapore imports more than 90 per cent of our fresh produce. Once these perishable items reach the city-state, they are repacked into retail bags in packing houses and stored in distribution centres before finally being delivered to retailers. Along the supply chain, there is a need for importers, wholesalers, distribution centres and retailers to adhere strictly to best practices in post-harvest handling to ensure the freshness and quality of our produce.

“It gave me insights into the new post-harvest technologies available to extend the shelf life and

maintain the quality of fresh produce. The publication was also helpful in our internal trainings.”

Ms Lin Rui Wen, Senior Manager, CMM Marketing Management Pte Ltd

Vacuum cooling is an energy efficient pre-cooling method for leafy vegetables and mushrooms. Pre-cooling is an essential step in

cold chain management to maintain freshness

and quality.