All imported meat products must come from approved sources: AVA

SINGAPORE: The Agri—Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) says all meat products imported into Singapore must come from its approved sources.

It adds that most countries in Europe are not allowed to export processed beef meat products containing minced meat to Singapore.

A few countries, such as France, Ireland, Netherlands, have however been approved to export only boneless whole beef cuts that comply with standards.

Last week, supermarkets across Europe pulled millions of frozen ready meals from the shelves.

The move came after tests revealed that large quantities of horsemeat had made their way into products labelled as beef.

AVA also said that imported food products are required to comply with the authority’s safety standards and labelling requirements.

The accreditation process includes evaluating the exporting countries and meat establishments to ensure that they meet food safety, veterinary public health and animal health standards in Singapore.

The carton and package of meat and meat product imported must be properly labelled, including with the right description of the meat products, and the particulars of the slaughter and meat processing establishments.

AVA said there is also a routine surveillance programme to check on processed meat products against any substitution with undeclared species of meat.

— CNA/de