strengthening singapore’s food safety...

Strengthening Singapore’s Food Safety System

Name : Tay Geng Yu

Date

Platform

Purpose

: 02 Dec 2019

: Dialogue Session with Food Services

: For Discussion

Ensuring Food Safety from Farm to Fork

• SFA takes a serious view towards upholding high food safety andhygiene standards

• Recent spates of foodborne outbreaks result in severe implications onpublic health

• Lapses observed highlight the differing levels of food safety standardsamong the industry

• Formation of SFA allows for integrated and harmonised regulatoryoversight over all food safety related matters from farm to fork

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Food Safety and Hygiene Lapses

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Poor housekeeping (Unclear segregation between cooked and raw food/equipment)

Poor food hygiene (e.g. food preparation on the floor)

Pest infestation

Strengthening our food safety system

SFA will be rolling out several initiatives under 3 main strategies inorder to strengthen our food safety system

1. Enhancing Food Safety Regulatory Oversight

2. Incentivising systems, processes and consistent food safety performance

3. Building Competency to Ensure Food Safety

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1. Enhancing food safety regulatory oversight

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Enhancing food safety regulatory oversightSFA will strengthen food safety and hygiene requirements• (A) Requirements for CCTV cameras to be installed in food establishments

• (B) Maintenance of retention samples

• (C) FSMS for Central Kitchens doing Catering

Current situationCCTVs

• Some establishments install CCTV for security/monitoring purposes, majority do not do so yet

• Regulatory requirements for CCTVs have been put in place by food safety regulatorsinternationally, including the UK, China and Oman.

Retention samples

• The UK, Australia and New Zealand food safety authorities require food establishments to put in place food recall plans, which includes sample retention

• Maintenance of retention samples is a widely adopted process internationally, as part of businesses’ Quality Assurance programmes and FSMS (e.g. ISO 22000:2018)

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New requirements will benefit industry

CCTV installation and maintenance of retention samples allow for:• Enhances and protects brand reputation

through demonstration of quality commitment and compliance, high standards of food safety, support or provide evidence when faced with food poisoning allegation

• Better performance monitoring of operations Builds customer confidence

• Supports and streamlines processes for in-house food safety programmes

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(A) Installation of CCTV cameras

Requirements

• CCTV installation at high-risk areas i.e. preparation/cooking/packing area

• 24-hour continuous CCTV recording of the stipulated areas

• Retain CCTV footages for 1 month, or indefinitely if required

Implementation Plan

• Caterers, central kitchens, in-house kitchens and premises permitted-to-caterwill be required to install CCTV

• Sufficient time will be given to allow the industry to implement CCTV (timeline and specific details to be announced at a later stage)

• SFA will request for the footage to facilitate investigations

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(B) Maintenance of retention samples

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• Retention samples would facilitate investigation in the event of a foodborne outbreak

• Businesses catering to vulnerable populations (e.g. preschools, kindergartens, nursing homes for the aged) will be required to maintain retention samples• To keep sufficient quantity of sample for every dish served i.e. minimum 300g

• To ensure sample is securely kept to prevent tampering

• Samples to be kept for at least 3 days in frozen condition

• Propose to implement this requirement in Q3 2021

(C) FSMS for Central Kitchens doing Catering

• Caterers and premises permitted to cater are required to put in place a Food Safety Management System

• Requirement will be extended to Central Kitchens that are doing catering

• Requirement can be fulfilled through:• Appointing one staff to attend and pass “WSQ Apply FSMS for Food Service

Establishments” or

• Obtaining FSMS certification from an accredited certifying body

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2. Incentivising consistent food safety performance

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Incentivising consistent food safety performance• With the government’s food safety and hygiene functions now under a single agency,

SFA is now able to implement a single framework of licensing and recognition of food establishments that will give longer licence duration and recognition to food establishments with higher food safety assurance:

⁻ Gold award: 10-year licence⁻ Silver award: 5-year licence⁻ Bronze award: 3-year licence

• SFA’s new approach serves to better:⁻ Recognize and affirm consistent efforts in upholding high food safety and hygiene

standards⁻ Incentivise food establishments to put in place systems and processes to

strengthen food safety and hygiene

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Category A (high risk)

(~9,000 establishments in total)

Establishments that are involved in

- Significant food handling practices that

introduce contamination risks in the

process, e.g., preparation, processing and storage of food that may be

temperature sensitive; and/or

- High occurrence of lapses observed in track records for the business sector

- Major contributor to One Health

incidents

Category B (low risk)



- Moderate food handling and food

storage practices that have lower

food safety risks; and/or

- Medium occurrence of lapses

observed in track records for the

business sector

Category C (minimal risk)(~3,000 establishments in total)


- Minimal food handling and food storage

practices that have negligible food safety

risks; and/or

- Low occurrence of lapses observed in the track records for the business sector

Food estabs

• Caterers, Premises permitted to cater, Restaurants (7,419 establishments in total);

• Central kitchens, food manufacturers, slaughterhouse, abattoir (1,644 establishments in total)

• Snack bars, bakeries and all other food shops e.g. takeaways (7,823 establishments in total)

• Cold stores (115 establishments intotal)

• Main licences (food courts, eating houses, canteens, private markets), TCM operators (that are involved in herbal tea preparation only), pubs, vending machineoperators, supermarkets (~3000 establishments in total)

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Risk-based categorisation food establishments

C. Revised licensing & recognition framework for food establishments

Award

Category A (high risk)


• Caterers, Premises permitted to cater, Restaurants (7,419 establishments in total);

• Central kitchens, food manufacturers, slaughterhouse, abattoir (1,644 establishments in total)

Category B (low risk)


• Snack bars, bakeries and all other food shops e.g. takeaways, (7,823 establishments in total)

• Cold stores (115 establishments in total)

Gold(10-yr

licence)

• 10 years no major lapse • Accredited Food Safety Management

System (FSMS)• Advanced Food Hygiene Officer (FHO)

• 10 years no major lapse

Silver(5-yr

licence)

• 5 years no major lapse • FSMS• FHO


Bronze(3-yr

licence)

• 2 years no major lapse • FHO


NoAward(1-year

licence)

• New entrants or <2 years of no major lapse

• FHO


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Category C (minimal risk)


• Main licences (food courts, eating houses, canteens, private markets),

TCM operators (that are involved in

herbal tea preparation only), pubs, vending machine operators,

supermarkets (~3000 establishments

in total)

10- yrlicence


5-yr licence


3-yr licence


[Note: Food stalls e.g. hawker stalls, canteen food stalls (except for private market stalls) will be given G/S/B awards, their licences will remain at 1 year or, if the operator chooses to do so, the licence can also be 2 years or 3 years based on tenancy agreement with HCD)]

Implementation of licensing/recognition framework• Target date for implementation is in 2021

• Award for existing retail food establishments based on enforcement history and FSMS implementation status (for Cat A) in 2021

• FEs have period of 1 year to implement necessary systems/processes

• Case studies:

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Company Current status Projected status

XX Company, doing food catering service

• No major lapse in the last 10 years• ISO 22 000:2005 in place

Gold award (10 years licence, on condition that Adv FHO criteria is met)

YY Company, doing food catering service

• One major lapse in 2019• FSMS (SS 583) in place

No award (1 year licence)

Key Changes

Retail

• Changes to award criteria as compared to previously-announced FHRS• Additional FSMS* and FHO requirements for Category A businesses (caterers, premises

permitted to cater, restaurants)

• Longer licence duration of more than 1 year (e.g. 3, 5 or 10 years depending on award)

[*Existing requirements for mandatory FSMS for caterers and premises permitted to cater still applies]

Non-retail

• Replacement of annual grading audit prior to licence renewal with recognition system based on consistency of track record• Additional FSMS and FHO requirements for Category A businesses (slaughterhouses, central

kitchens, manufacturers)

• Longer licence duration of more than 1 year (e.g. 3, 5 or 10 years depending on award)

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3. Building Competency to Ensure Food Safety

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Building Competency to Ensure Food Safety• A trained and competent workforce is required to support the adoption of

systems and processes, and ensure consistent food safety performance

• SFA will enhance training and competency framework for food hygiene and safety to for upskilling

• SFA will harmonise training requirements and course curriculum across retail and non-retail food businesses• Building competencies of food industry workforce• Enabling job upskilling of food handlers• Working with SSG on WSQ Technical Skills Competency • Engaging industry stakeholders on relevant competencies• Collaborating with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) for their full time students to

achieve relevant WSQ certificates

• Role of FHO to be gazetted in legislation as a statutory appointment with legal responsibilities

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Main changes to training framework

• All food handlers will be required to undergo Basic Food Hygiene Course (BFHC)• New requirement for food handlers in non-retail food establishments, as food

handlers are integral players in ensuring food safety

• Introduce additional modules for skills upgrading in BFHC Refresher

• All Category A food businesses will be required to employ a Food Hygiene Officer (FHO), who has undergone the FHO course

• SFA will work with IHLs to develop the curriculum for the advanced FHO course – one of the criteria for Gold Award Cat A businesses

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Current training framework for food safety and hygiene

Course Title (Intended outcome)

BFHC (Practise Goodhygiene)

FHO(Conduct Hygiene checks)

FSMS(Implement HACCP-basedFSMS)

Requirement for Retail FEs Mandatory for all food handlersRefresher training at 5/10 years

Mandatory for larger-sized restaurants, caterers, canteensand foodcourts– Appoint a trained FHO

Mandatory for caterers and premises permitted to cater

Requirement for Non-Retail FEs

Not mandatory Not mandatory Not mandatory

Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Qualifying courses

WSQ Follow F&B Safety & Hygiene Policies and Procedures

WSQ Conduct F&B Hygiene Audit

WSQ Food Safety Management System for Food Service Establishments (based on SS 583)

Course curriculum Designed for retail food establishments

Designed for retail food establishments

Designed for premises providing catering services

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Basic Food Hygiene Course (BFHC)

Food Hygiene Officer (FHO)

Advanced FHO

Trainingrequirements

Mandatory for all food handlersRefresher training at 5/10 years

Mandatory for Category A food businesses

Cat A Food Businesses that aspire to attain Gold award may qualify by meeting the 3 requirements (10 years no major lapses, SAC- accredited FSMS and Adv FHO)

Coursecurriculum

Designed and applicable to both retail and non-retail food establishments

Courseobjectives

Practise good food hygieneRefresher: Conduct hygiene checks of selected work zone

Develop and conduct hygiene checks of premises

Implement Good Hygiene Practices (e.g. cleaning-in-place, pest control) and understand HACCP Principles

Develop food safety policies

Implement HACCP-based FSMS

Conduct internal audit

Proposed training framework for food safety and hygiene

FSMS(Implement HACCP-based FSMS)

Mandatory for caterers and premises permitted to cater, and Central Kitchens doing catering

Designed for premises providing catering services

WSQ Food Safety Management System for Food Service Establishments (based on SS 583)

Implementation Timeline

Industry dialogue

CCTV installation will be required for all licensees upon licencerenewal.

Period for establishments to identify vendors for CCTV

Engage licensees on coming on-board to new licensing conditions for CCTV and retention sampling

Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021 Q3 2021 Q4 2021 Q1 2022

Engage food industry through associations

Inform licensees of award status

Roll out of licensing/recognition scheme, licensees to come on board scheme upon licence renewal

Brief industry on details

Orange: CCTV & retention samplingBlue: Licensing/recognitionGreen: Training 22

Implement requirement for retention samples

Launch revised BFHC

Launch FHO and adv FHO course

strengthening singapore’s food safety...

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