Sale of Food Act
(CHAPTER 283)

(Original Enactment: Act 12 of 1973)

REVISED EDITION 1985
(30th March 1987)
An Act for securing wholesomeness and purity of food and fixing standards for the same; for preventing the sale or other disposition, or the use of articles dangerous or injurious to health; to provide for the regulation of food establishments.
[1st May 1973]
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Short title
1.  This Act may be cited as the Sale of Food Act.
Interpretation
2.  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“advertisement” includes any notice, circular, label, wrapper, invoice or other document, and any public announcement made orally or by any means of producing or transmitting light or sound, and “advertise” shall be construed accordingly;
“analysis” includes micro-biological assay, and “analyse” shall be construed accordingly;
“appliance” includes the whole or any part of any utensil, machinery, instrument, apparatus or article used or intended for use in or for making, keeping, preparing or supplying any food;
“authorised analyst” means any person appointed by the Director-General to be an authorised analyst under section 3(3);
[7/2002 wef 01/07/2002]
“authorised officer” means the Director-General and any person appointed by the Director-General to be an authorised officer under section 3(2);
[7/2002 wef 01/07/2002]
“Authority” means the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority established under section 3 of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority Act (Cap. 5);
[7/2002 wef 01/07/2002]
“Director-General” means the Director-General, Agri-Food and Veterinary Services appointed under section 3(1) of the Animals and Birds Act (Cap. 7);
[7/2002 wef 01/07/2002]
“food” includes drink, chewing gum and other products of a like nature and use, and articles and substances used as ingredients in the preparation of food or drink or of such products, but does not include —
(a)live animals or birds;
(b)fodder or feeding stuffs for animals, birds or fish; or
(c)articles or substances used only as drugs;
“food establishment” means any place or any premises or part thereof used for the sale, or for the preparation or manufacture for sale, or for the storage or packing for sale, of food, whether cooked or not, intended for human consumption;
[7/2002 wef 01/07/2002]
“import”, with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, means to bring or cause to be brought into Singapore by land, water or air from any place which is outside Singapore but does not include the bringing into Singapore by water or air of any goods which it is proved to be intended to be taken out of Singapore on the same vessel or aircraft on which they were brought into Singapore without any landing or transhipment within Singapore;
“importer”, in relation to an imported article, includes any person who, whether as owner, consignor, consignee, agent or broker, is in possession of the article or is in any way entitled to the custody or control of the article;
“infectious disease” means —
(a)any disease set out in the First or Second Schedule to the Infectious Diseases Act (Cap. 137);
(b)any skin disease which is likely to be contagious; and
(c)such other disease as the Minister may prescribe;
[7/2002 wef 01/07/2002]
“insanitary conditions” means such conditions or circumstances as might contaminate any food with dirt or filth or render the same injurious to health or unfit for human consumption;
“label” means any printed, pictorial, or other descriptive matter appearing on or attached to, any package containing food for sale;
“package” includes every means by which goods may be cased, enclosed, contained or packed;
“poison” means any substance deemed to be a poison within the meaning of the Poisons Act [Cap. 234];
“premises” means messuages, buildings, lands, easements and hereditaments of any tenure, whether open or enclosed, whether built on or not, whether public or private, and whether maintained or not under statutory authority, and includes any place or structure, or any part thereof used or intended to be used for human habitation or for any other purpose whatsoever;
[7/2002 wef 01/07/2002]
“sale” or “sell” includes barter and exchange, and also includes offering or attempting to sell, or causing or allowing to be sold, or exposing for sale, or receiving or sending or delivering for sale, or supplying any food where consideration is to be received by the supplier for such supply either specifically or as part of a service contracted for, or having in possession for sale, or having in possession any food or appliance knowing that the same is likely to be sold or offered or exposed for sale, and refers only to sale for human consumption or use;
“substance” includes a liquid.