May 8, 2023

 

Food agency dismisses report that claims Singapore ready to bring in pig carcasses from Indonesia's Bulan Island

 

 

 

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has on May 7 refuted an Indonesian media report that Singapore is "ready" to import pig carcasses from Bulan Island, Batam, Indonesia, where African swine fever (ASF) had been detected.

 

The Antara report cited the director-general for animal husbandry and health at Indonesia's Agriculture Ministry, Dr. Nasrullah, as saying that SFA had "expressed their readiness to import pig carcasses", following a virtual meeting between the Singapore agency and Indonesia's National Veterinary Authority in April.

 

In a Facebook post, SFA said "Singapore does not allow the import of carcasses or slaughtered animals which are diseased", and it has not received or approved any application from Indonesian abattoirs for the export of pig carcasses and pork to Singapore.

 

"The Singapore authorities would only consider such applications once the ASF issue has been resolved," SFA added.

 

The agency highlighted that meat and meat products can be imported into Singapore only from accredited sources that comply with the country's requirements.

 

"Singapore's import conditions for pigs, pork and pork products are based on science, and take reference from guidelines and standards from the World Organisation for Animal Health," said SFA.

 

Earlier in April, a consignment of live pigs sent to Singapore from a farm on Bulan Island was confirmed to have been infected with ASF after the animals were slaughtered for food at an abattoir in Jurong.

 

This was the first time ASF had been detected in pigs imported into Singapore.

 

SFA then stopped the import of live pigs from Bulan Island, which accounts for about 15% of Singapore's total pork supply. This makes up about two-thirds of the city-state's supply of freshly slaughtered pork.

- The Straits Times