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AVA SUPPORTS RE-HOMING OF STRAY DOGS

23 December 2011: Following reports of the recent case of a jogger who was scratched and bitten by a pack of stray dogs at Punggol Waterway, there are public concerns that all stray dogs that are rounded up are culled. AVA would like to clarify that we do not practice blanket culling. Instead, we allow stray dogs that are suitable for adoption to be re-homed.

Read more about re-homing of stray dogs here.

AVA'S SUCCESSFUL SPAWNING OF POMPANO IN TROPICAL WATERS

1 December 2011: Local farming complements our source diversification strategy in ensuring a resilient food supply for Singapore. To this end, AVA has been working closely with the farmers to improve their productivity and capability. Following the successful spawning of pompano (golden pomfret) fry in AVA’s Marine Aquaculture Centre, the first of its kind on a commercially viable scale in Singapore, AVA worked with a local fish farm to transfer the technology and develop a pompano breeding programme for the farm.

Read more about AVA's efforts to help local farmers improve productivity here.

NO IMPORT OF OLIVES STUFFED WITH ALMONDS AFFECTED BY BOTULISM

3 November 2011: The International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) has informed AVA that Società cooperativa agricola G.M.G F. ar.l. dei F.lli Gaudiano, Italy, has, as a precautionary measure, initiated a market recall of all batches and sizes of olives stuffed with almonds dated from 2010 and 2011. This was because two cases of botulism found in Finland has been linked to the consumption of the olives.

There is no import of the affected products into Singapore. Nevertheless, AVA advises consumers who have bought the implicated products, whilst overseas, to discard the products and not to consume them.

NO IMPORT OF CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUTS AFFECTED BY SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION IN AUSTRALIA

17 October 2011: The Food Safety Australia New Zealand has issued a notice on the recall of chocolate macadamia nuts in Australia due to the presence of Salmonella detected during the routine testing by the manufacturing company, Paton's Macadamia Plantations Pty Ltd. The affected products were distributed for sale at tourist souvenir gift shops in Australia, as well as exported to Guam and Thailand.

There is no import of the affected products into Singapore. Nevertheless, AVA advises consumers to discard the affected products if they had purchased the products outside of Singapore for personal consumption.

Please click here for the details of the affected products..

RECALL OF CHESDALE HERB AND GARLIC PROCESSED CHEESE SLICES

4 October 2011: The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, New Zealand has informed AVA that Fonterra Co operative Group Ltd has found a fragment of metal in a pack of Chesdale Processed Cheese Slices in New Zealand. As a precautionary measure, Fontera has initiated a market recall of Chesdale Herb and Garlic Processed Cheese Slices (250g) (best before date 16 July 2012), in Singapore.

AVA advises consumers who have bought the implicated product to discard the product and not to consume it.

LIST OF ACCREDITED DOG TRAINERS FOR SCHEDULED DOGS

13 September 2011: AVA’s panel has accredited a list of dog trainers to conduct basic obedience training for dogs that are listed under the Second Schedule, or any dogs that have been assessed by AVA to be potentially dangerous. The objective of the accreditation is to ensure minimum competency standards in dog training so that the dog can be properly controlled by its handler.

Dog trainers who would like to apply for accreditation can find out more here or contact ava_cawc@ava.gov.sg.

NO IMPORT OF TAPENADE AND TARTINADE PRODUCTS IMPLICATED IN AN OUTBREAK OF BOTULISM IN FRANCE

12 September 2011: The French authorities have issued a national recall of tapenade (ground olives made into a paste) with almonds and tartinade (dried tomatoes in the form of a paste or spread) produced by an artisan producer, "La Ruche", in Vaucluse in southern France. Both products have been found with botulism toxin type A and are linked to an outbreak of botulism. Botulism is a rare but serious disease caused by ingestion of food containing extremely potent toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

The brand name of the implicated products is "Les Delices de Marie-Claire". In addition, the implicated products are also distributed under the brand names of "Terre de Mistral" and "Le Secret d'Anaïs".

There is no import of the affected products. Nevertheless, AVA advises consumers to discard the affected products if they had purchased the products outside of Singapore for personal consumption.

REVIEW OF AVA’S FOOD SAFETY & BIOSECURITY PROGRAMMES – 5^th INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS (IACE) REVIEW

26 August 2011: AVA's International Advisory Committee of Experts (IACE) has concluded its fifth review of AVA’s food safety and biosecurity programmes. The review took place from 22 to 25 August 2011 and considered a range of issues including strengthening AVA’s food safety programmes, facilitating AVA’s food sourcing and diversification efforts and AVA’s approaches in dealing with emerging issues.

The IACE concluded that AVA’s food safety and biosecurity systems continue to be of world class standard. The IACE commended AVA on the developments and progress in its programmes since the last review in 2008.

Read the press release for more info on the findings and recommendations of the review.

AVA OPENS APPLICATIONS FOR ACCREDITATION OF DOG TRAINERS

5 August 2011: Following our announcement on changes to the Animals and Birds (Dog Licensing and Control) Rules in Nov 2010, AVA has established a panel to accredit dog trainers for the purpose of training dogs that are listed under the Second Schedule, or any dogs that have been assessed by AVA to be potentially dangerous. The Panel for the Accreditation of Dog Trainers (PADT) comprises experts from both the public and private sectors.

Applications for dog trainers will open from 5 Aug 2011 and close on 19 Aug 2011. Dog trainers can download the application form on our website.

Dog owners can refer to this website for the list of AVA accredited trainers from 13 Sept 2011.

AVA'S FOOD FUND - SECOND TRANCHE OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS

1 August 2011: AVA launched a second tranche of $10 million under its Food Fund programme today. The Food Fund was launched in Dec 2009 to strengthen our strategies of food source diversification and local farming to ensure a resilient supply of food for Singapore. It is used to support food diversification and farm capability development.

Click here for the press release. Interested companies can visit www.ava.gov.sg/FoodFund.htm or email AVA_Funds_Enquiries@ava.gov.sg for more information.

UPDATE ON PRODUCTS TESTED FOR PHTHALATE CONTAMINATION

2 August 2011: AVA has been testing food products including beverages, jams and jellies manufactured in Taiwan, for phthalates, in view of the phthalate contamination situation in Taiwan. All consignments of beverages, jams and jellies imported from Taiwan are subjected to “hold and test”. This means that only products that have cleared AVA’s tests for phthalates will be released for sale. Products that fail our tests will be suspended from import.

Please click here for the latest list of brands that have been suspended from import. Consumers who have bought the affected products are advised to discard the products and not consume them.

CONSUMERS ENCOURAGED TO BUY LOCAL PRODUCE

21 June 2011: Local production is an important secondary strategy in ensuring food supply resilience for Singapore. To this end, the Government will continue to promote local farming, with the aim to raise self-sufficiency levels for eggs, fish and leafy vegetables to 30%, 15% and 10% respectively. AVA thus urged consumers to complement the Government’s efforts and support the local farming industry by buying local produce, such as eggs.

Consumers are assured of the quality and freshness of local produce, a result of the stringent production and quality control procedures local farms adhere to, as well as the short delivery time from farm to retail outlets. The quality of eggs produced by local chicken layer farms is assured under AVA’s Singapore Quality Egg Scheme (SQES).

Click here for more details.

NO PHTHALATE CONTAMINATION DETECTED IN NONG SHIM AND NISSIN INSTANT NOODLES

13 June 2011: Following reports of phthalate contamination in Nong Shim and Nissin Instant noodles in Hong Kong, AVA has taken samples of Nong Shim and Nissin instant noodles available in local retail market for testing. No phthalate contamination has been detected in the noodles or the seasoning. AVA will continue to monitor the situation closely.

NO IMPORT OF “SIMPLYTHICK”, THICKENING AGENT FOR PREMATURE INFANTS

31 May 2011: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an alert to warn parents, caregivers, and health care providers not to feed “SimplyThick”, a thickening agent for management of swallowing disorders, to infants born before 37 weeks.

There is no import of the affected products. Nevertheless, AVA advises consumers not to feed their premature infants with the affected products if they had purchased the products outside of Singapore.

Consumption of “SimplyThick” may cause necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). NEC is a life-threatening condition characterized by inflammation and death of intestinal tissue. The condition is most often diagnosed in babies who are born prematurely. To date, the FDA is aware of 15 cases of NEC, including two deaths, involving premature infants who were fed “SimplyThick” for varying amounts of time. The product was mixed with mothers’ breast milk or infant formula products. The FDA is actively investigating the link between “SimplyThick” and these illnesses and deaths.

Click here for images of the affected product.

AVA LIFTS SUSPENSION ON IMPORT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM HYOGO AND SHIZUOKA PREFECTURES

16 May 2011: The suspension on Shizuoka and Hyogo prefectures were imposed on 31 Mar and 4 Apr 2011 respectively, after AVA detected radioactive contaminants in samples of komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) and cabbage that were declared to be imported from Shizuoka and Hyogo prefectures respectively.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan carried out investigations and had since ascertained that the samples of vegetables were from Saitama and Ibaraki prefectures, and the exporters had wrongly declared the origins of the vegetables. Both Saitama and Ibaraki had already been suspended from exporting food products to Singapore.

In addition, MAFF and the prefectural authorities had done follow-up tests on samples of vegetables from Shizuoka and Hyogo and found them to be safe for consumption. In view of these, AVA is lifting the suspension of fruits and vegetables from Shizuoka and Hyogo prefectures with immediate effect.

Click here for more details.

AVA LIFTS SUSPENSION ON IMPORT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM EHIME PREFECTURE

14 Apr 2011: The suspension on Ehime Prefecture was imposed on 24 Mar 2011 after AVA detected radioactive contaminants from a sample of Perilla Leaf that was listed as imported from Ehime by the Japanese exporter. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan carried out investigations and had since ascertained that the Perilla Leaf sample was from Fukushima Prefecture. According to MAFF, the Japanese exporter of the contaminated Perilla Leaf sample had wrongly listed its origin to be Ehime Prefecture.

In addition, the MAFF and the Ehime Prefectural Authority announced that other Perilla Leaf sampled from Ehime Prefecture had been tested and no radioactive contaminants were detected. In view of these developments, AVA is lifting the suspension of fruits and vegetables from Ehime Prefecture with immediate effect.

Click here for more details.

AVA SUSPENDS IMPORT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM HYOGO, JAPAN

4 Apr 2011: Radioactive contaminants have been detected in a sample of cabbage imported from the Hyogo prefecture in Japan. Thus the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) will extend its suspension on the import of fruits and vegetables to include Hyogo.

Food imported from Japan that is available in the market is safe for consumption. There is no cause for concern for consumers as the affected consignments have not been released for sale under our “hold-and-test” surveillance programme.

Click here for more details.

AVA SUSPENDS IMPORT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM SHIZUOKA, JAPAN

31 Mar 2011: Radioactive contaminants have been detected in a sample of Komatsuna (Japanese Mustard Spinach) imported from the Shizuoka prefecture in Japan. Thus the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) will extend its suspension on the import of fruits and vegetables to include Shizuoka.

Food imported from Japan that is available in the market is safe for consumption. There is no cause for concern for consumers as the affected consignments have not been released for sale under our “hold-and-test” surveillance programme.

Click here for more details.

AVA SUSPENDS IMPORT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM KANTO REGION IN JAPAN

26 Mar 2011: Radioactive contaminants have been detected in another two samples of vegetables from Japan. The contaminated samples were imported from the prefectures of Kanagawa and Tokyo. In addition, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare had reported the detection of high radioactivity levels in some vegetables from Saitama.

In view of the latest developments, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) will extend its suspension on the import of fruits and vegetables to include the prefectures of Kanagawa, Tokyo and Saitama. This means the entire Kanto Region of Japan is now suspended from exporting fruits and vegetables to Singapore as AVA had earlier suspended the Kanto prefectures of Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma and Chiba.

Food imported from Japan that is available in the market is safe for consumption. There is no cause for concern for consumers as the affected consignments have not been released for sale under our “hold-and-test” surveillance programme.

Click here for more details.

DETECTION OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS IN FOUR SAMPLES OF VEGETABLES FROM JAPAN – AVA SUSPENDS IMPORT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM ADDITIONAL TWO PREFECTURES

24 Mar 2011: Radioactive contaminants have been detected in four samples of vegetables from Japan. The contaminated samples were imported from the affected prefectures of Tochigi and Ibaraki, as well as Chiba and Ehime which are outside the affected areas. The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) will extend its suspension on the import of all fruits and vegetables to include Chiba and Ehime with immediate effect.

Low levels of radioactive contaminants detected in four vegetable samples

To date, 161 samples of fresh produce such as seafood, fruits, vegetables and meat were tested. The latest results on samples collected from shipments imported on 23 Mar 2011 showed that radioactive contaminants were found in the following four samples of vegetables:

Item Description	Detection levels
Item Description	Iodine-131	Cesium-134	Cesium-137
Mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley)	74bq/kg	-	-
Nanohana (Rape seed plant)	311bq/kg	74bq/kg	180bq/kg
Mizuna (Japanese mustard)	195bq/kg	135bq/kg	271bq/kg
Perilla Leaf	255bq/kg	-	-

* Becquerel (bq) is a measurement of radioactivity levels. The Codex guidelines for radionuclides in food (other than infant food) for Iodine 131 is 100 bq/kg, Cesium 134 is 1000 bq/kg and Cesium 137 is 1000 bq/kg.
** Test results are provided by the Health Sciences Authority’s Applied Sciences Group

All the affected shipments have been detained and will be disposed of in an appropriate manner.

No cause for alarm for consumers

An adult would need to consume 3.5 kg of these vegetables to receive a similar level of radiation exposure from one x-ray. Similarly, an adult would need to consume 184 kg of these vegetables to receive an exposure level equivalent to the normal background radiation that a person will be exposed to in a year. According to the Ministry of Health, the short-term consumption of food at these detected levels of radioactive contamination does not pose a health hazard.

Continued surveillance on imports of food from Japan

AVA will continue to closely monitor and test food imports from Japan. We have also expanded the testing of food products from Japan to include high risk processed food such as infant formula and fresh dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cream.

The public could visit the Japan Earthquake microsite at www.gov.sg (www.gov.sg/japanquake) for latest updates and information from the authorities. They could also visit AVA site at www.ava.gov.sg.

AVA SUSPENDS IMPORTS OF FOOD FROM AFFECTED PREFECTURES IN JAPAN

23 Mar 2011: AVA has received information that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has detected high radioactivity levels in raw milk and vegetables from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma prefectures.

In addition, the Japanese Government has ordered a stop to the sale of raw milk and certain types of vegetables from the affected prefectures of Fukushima and Ibaraki.

In view of the recent developments, AVA has taken the precautionary measure to immediately suspend the import of milk and milk products, fruits and vegetables, seafood and meat from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma.

The suspension is in line with the precautionary approach adopted by other countries such as U.S and Australia.

Meanwhile, AVA will continue to closely monitor and test imports of food from Japan.

The public could visit the Japan Earthquake microsite at www.gov.sg (www.gov.sg/japanquake) for latest updates and information from the authorities. They could also visit AVA site at www.ava.gov.sg.

NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN OVER THE RADIATION LEVELS OF FOOD IMPORTED FROM JAPAN

22 Mar 2011: The media reported that some food products (liquid milk and spinach) from affected regions in Japan, and fava beans exported to Taiwan, were found to have higher levels of radiation. There are no food imports from the affected regions in Japan since the start of the incident. Nonetheless, AVA has stepped up its surveillance of food imports from Japan to ensure that they are safe for consumption.

Samples of all fresh produce exported from Japan after 11 Mar 2011 are being tested for radioactive contaminants. To date, more than 120 samples of fresh produce such as seafood, fruits, vegetables and meat were tested. No radioactive contamination has been detected thus far.

AVA MONITORING FOOD IMPORTS FROM JAPAN CLOSELY

16 March 2011: Following the recent earthquake in Japan and concerns of possible radiation leakage from affected nuclear plants, AVA has increased our surveillance of food imports from Japan to ensure that they are safe for consumption.

Food products from Japan that were exported before 11 Mar 2011 are safe for consumption as they would not have been exposed to any radioactive contamination.

As a precautionary measure, samples of fresh produce exported from Japan after 11 Mar 2011, such as seafood, fruits, vegetables and meat, are being tested for radioactive contaminants with immediate effect.

So far, laboratory results show that no radioactive contamination has been detected.

The impact of the earthquake on Singapore’s food supply is minimal. In 2010, seafood imported from Japan constitutes less than 2% of our total seafood imports by quantity. The import of other food products from Japan is negligible (less than 0.5%).

AVA will work closely with our counterparts in Japan and continue to keep a close watch on food imports from Japan.

MEDIA RELEASE - AVA UPS FOOD SUPPLY RESILIENCE EFFORTS: HELPING LOCAL FISH FARMS IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY

16 March 2011: Local production plays an important supporting role in ensuring food supply resilience, to complement our key strategy of source diversification1. It is important for us to raise the productivity and capability of our farms to maximise the limited land and sea space that we have for local farming. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) is stepping up efforts to help local fish farms increase productivity to meet Singapore’s target of 15% of fish consumed locally.

Click here for more details.