Draft #4

In 2007, frozen meat and vegetable dumplings imported from China contained pesticide causing food poisoning in Japan (Chanda, 2013) and in the next year, melamine contaminated milk products took the lives of at least 6 children and caused 300,000 children to fall ill in china (Branigan, 2009). Melamine had been deliberately added into the milk to boost its protein in order to pass nutritional tests. Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Hong Kong made a move to ban and recall Chinese dairy products in 2008 (Klamann, 2008). Globalized trade has enabled an increase in the variety of food products available for consumption. At the same time, there is a growing risk of tainted food imported from one country to another.

Singapore imports over 90% of food products as it has a limited land resources (Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore, 2013). The over reliance on imported food products exposes Singaporeans to a higher risk of being susceptible to food scandals (Tan, 2013). Singapore has to be alert in ensuring that imports are safe for consumption as tainted food can bring about health problems and severe socio-economic consequences. With the rise in food scandals occurring around Singapore, the Singapore government has to continue to be vigilant and ensure that regulations are secure to protect consumers from being affected by contaminated food from global sources. Two ways in which the government can do so is to work with international food safety authorities and continue to be strict with requirements for imported food. 

Products that are harmful will continuously arise as producers utilize cheap chemicals to fulfill requirements and find ways to reduce costs and maximize profits. Also, unprecedented animal epidemics such as the mad cow disease need to be guarded against. Diseases can be transmitted when a person consumes infected animal meat.

Currently, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has strict requirements for imported and locally manufactured food to comply with. The import of meat and meat products are authorized only from approved sources. Imports must have a health certificate provided by a veterinary authority of the country of origin to certify that Singapore's animal health and food safety requirements are met (AVA, 2013). Imports with high risks are required to be sent for testing to certify the safety of the imported food (Singapore customs, 2013). The government gives out food safety excellence and food safety partners’ awards to encourage the food industry to guarantee the safety of food provided commitment.

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. The government agency AVA should also work closely with food safety authorities internationally to share information and work on protecting the health of consumers. This way, when a certain food is found to be affecting the health of consumers, the food safety authority of that country will pass information regarding the food scandal on to the food safety authorities in other countries immediately to prevent the problem from escalating.

Furthermore, Singapore should not take the zero incident rate for granted. The AVA government agency should not slack in the strict requirements they have. The testing methods for detecting contaminants should be constantly upgraded to identify uncommon contaminants. Employees must be well taken care of so as to prevent them from taking bribes to let imported food that do not meet requirements come into Singapore.

In preventing contaminated food from being consumed, consumers should be protected from harm. Consumers distrust arising from unethical selling of tainted food would not exist and they would not have to be wary about the food they have purchased.

 References

Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore. (2013). Singapore's food supply.

Retrieved October 20, 2013, from http://www.ava.gov.sg/Singapore+Food+Supply.htm 

Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA). (2013). Requirements to

Import, Export and Transship Food. Retrieved October 12, 2013, from http://www.ava.gov.sg/AVA/Templates/AVA-GenericContentTemplate.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7b2BA0A4AA-05D8-4E3C-A8F9-60F26F90EA76%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fFoodSector%2fImportExportTransOfFood%2fReqToImportExportTransshipFood%2f&NRCACHEHINT=Guest#begin

Branigan, T. (2009, November 24). China executes two for tainted milk scandal.

theguardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/nov/24/china-executes-milk-scandal-pair

Chanda, N. (2013, April 4). One man’s meat is another man’s poison. YaleGlobal

online. Retrieved from http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/one-man’s-meat-another-man’s-poison

Klamann,  E. (2008, September 20). China Orders recalls as milk scandal widens.

Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/09/20/us-china-milk-idUSSHA8903920080920

Singapore customs.(2013). Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (Processed Food).

Retrieved October 10, 2013,from http://www.customs.gov.sg/leftNav/trad/TradeNet/Agri-Food+and+Veterinary+Authority+(Processed+Food).htm

Tan, P.H. (2013, July 19). Opening remarks by Ms Tan Po Hong, chief executive

officer, agri-food and veterinary authority of Singapore, at AVA’s food safety awards night on 19 July 2013. Retrieved October 10,2013, from http://www.ava.gov.sg/NR/rdonlyres/9253E7B2-E57D-4992-982C-1304E73748D6/26395/CEOsSpeechforFoodSafetyAwardsNight13_Final.pdf