Singapore legislation

Clause 4

Power of officers to enter, etc.

(1)

Any officer may —

(a)

at any reasonable time enter and inspect any place where he has reason to believe that there is any food or appliance intended for sale;

(b)

inspect any food or appliance wherever found which he has reason to believe is intended for sale;

(c)

open and examine any receptacle or package which he has reasonable grounds for believing to contain any article to which this Act or the regulations made thereunder apply;

(d)

mark, seal or otherwise secure, weigh, count or measure any food or appliance the sale, preparation or manufacture of which is, or appears to be, contrary to this Act or the regulations made thereunder;

(e)

seize any food or appliance wherever found which is or appears to be unwholesome or deleterious to health or which is contrary to this Act or the regulations made thereunder; and any article seized under this Act may at the option of an officer be kept or stored in the building or place where it was seized or may at the direction of an officer be removed to any other proper place;

(f)

require any person selling or making any food or appliance or his agent or servant to state his name and place of residence; and

(g)

destroy any food wherever found which is decayed or putrefied or deleterious to health.

(2)

Any person claiming anything seized under this section may within forty-eight hours after such seizure complain thereof to a Magistrate’s Court, and such complaint may be heard and determined by such Court, which may either confirm or disallow such seizure wholly or in part and may order the article seized to be restored.

(3)

If within forty-eight hours after such seizure no complaint has been made, or if such seizure is confirmed, the article seized shall become the property of the Government and shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of so as to prevent it being used for human consumption.

(4)

Where the seizure of any food or appliance is made under paragraph (e) of subsection (1), the officer making the seizure shall forthwith give notice in writing of the seizure in the form set out in the First Schedule to the owner or to the consignor or consignee or to the agent of the owner of the thing seized, if his name and address are attached thereto or are otherwise known to the officer and such address is in Singapore.

(5)

Any person who obstructs any officer in the exercise of his powers under this section shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars.

Read in full context — Sale of Food Bill →