SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): A food import firm and a partner of another food importer were fined a total of S$8,500 on Thursday (Feb 23) for illegally importing fresh and processed vegetables for sale.
In April 2022, a truck carrying food produce consigned to food importers Sunrise Vegetable and Bao Kang Enterprise was stopped by Singapore Food Agency (SFA) officers and immigration officers at Woodlands Checkpoint.
Investigations found that Sunrise Vegetable had illegally imported about 193kg of processed vegetables, and Bao Kang Enterprise had illegally imported about 407kg of fresh vegetables, SFA said in a statement on Thursday.
The consignments from Malaysia were seized.
On Thursday, Sunrise Vegetable was fined $1,200 for illegally importing processed vegetables.
Sim Chai Kang, a partner of Bao Kang Enterprise who holds a licence to import vegetables, was fined $7,300 for illegally importing fresh vegetables.
SFA said those found guilty of illegally importing fresh fruit and vegetables may be fined up to $10,000, jailed up to three years, or both.
Processed fruits and vegetables that are illegally imported will also result in offenders receiving a fine of up to $1,000, with a maximum fine of $2,000 for subsequent convictions.
The statement said: “In Singapore, food imports must meet SFA’s requirements. Fruits and vegetables can be imported only by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied by a valid import permit.”
It added that illegal imported vegetables come from unknown sources and could pose safety risks to consumers due to unregulated or high levels of pesticides. Ingesting too much pesticide residues over a long term could affect one’s health adversely.
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