Singapore legislation

Regulation 19

Chemical preservatives

Amended byS 59/2019 wef 01/02/2019S 493/2013 wef 01/08/2013S 203/2023 wef 28/04/2023S 146/2018 wef 28/03/2018S 59/2019 wef 01/02/2019S 493/2013 wef 01/08/2013S 203/2023 wef 28/04/2023S 203/2023 wef 28/04/2023S 493/2013 wef 01/08/2013S 493/2013 wef 01/08/2013S 493/2013 wef 01/08/2013S 203/2023 wef 28/04/2023

Subregulation 1

In these Regulations, “chemical preservative” means any substance which is capable of inhibiting, retarding or arresting the process of fermentation, acidification or other deterioration of food caused by micro-organisms.

Subregulation 2

Chemical preservatives shall be divided into the following classes:

(a)

Class I chemical preservatives shall be —

(i)

common salt;

(ii)

sugars;

(iii)

vinegar or acetic acid, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, citric acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, tartaric acid, or propionic acid or the calcium, potassium or sodium salts of any of the acids specified in this sub-paragraph; and

(iv)

ethyl alcohol or potable spirits; (b)Class II chemical preservatives shall be —Substance.Descriptive Name.Descriptive No.(i)Sulphur dioxide, sulphurous acid or any of its sodium, potassium or calcium saltsSulphur dioxide1(ii)Benzoic acid and its sodium and potassium saltsBenzoic acid2(iii)Methyl para-hydroxy-benzoate and its sodium saltMethyl para-hydroxy-benzoate3(iv)Sorbic acid and its sodium, potassium or calcium saltsSorbic acid4(v)[Deleted by S 59/2019 wef 01/02/2019] (vi)Nitrites of sodium or potassiumNitrites5(vii)Nitrates of sodium or potassiumNitrates6; (c)Class III chemical preservative shall be dimethyl dicarbonate; and

(d)

Class IV chemical preservative must be nisin.

Subregulation 3

Amended byS 493/2013 wef 01/08/2013S 493/2013 wef 01/08/2013S 493/2013 wef 01/08/2013S 203/2023 wef 28/04/2023

(a)

The additions of any Class I chemical preservatives in any food in any proportion is not restricted.(b) No person shall import, sell, advertise, manufacture, consign or deliver any article of food which contains a Class II chemical preservative, except that —

(i)

any specified food may contain one of the Class II chemical preservatives in the proportion specified in Part I of the Fourth Schedule except as provided in sub-paragraph (ii); and

(ii)

any specified food in relation to which 2 or more Class II chemical preservatives are specified in the Fourth Schedule may contain an admixture of those chemical preservatives if, when the quantity of each such chemical preservative present in that food is expressed as a percentage of the maximum quantity of that chemical preservative appropriate to that food in accordance with Part I of that Schedule, the sum of those percentages does not exceed 100.(c) No person shall import, sell, advertise, manufacture, consign or deliver any article of food to which a Class III chemical preservative has been added, except that a Class III chemical preservative may be added to any food, and in such proportion, specified in Part II of the Fourth Schedule.(d) A person must not import, sell, advertise, manufacture, consign or deliver any article of food to which a Class IV chemical preservative has been added, except that a Class IV chemical preservative may be added in the preservation of liquid egg products, liquid egg analogues, cheese and canned foods that have been sufficiently heat processed to destroy spores of Clostridium botulinum.

Read in full context — Food Regulations →