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CNA Do You Have These? Singapore recalls baby puree and cereal rice products with excessive arsenic, advises against feeding items to children The Singapore Food Agency issued a recall for three infant products found to contain arsenic beyond permissible levels (Photos: SFA) SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has ordered a recall of three infant products found to contain more than the maximum limit of arsenic stated in the Singapore Food Regulations. The products are Wen’s Baby Cereal Puree Whitebait and Pumpkin, Wen’s Baby Cereal Puree Whitebait and Purple Sweet Potato and Holle Organic Wholegrain Cereal Rice, SFA said in a news release on Monday (May 15). Affected batches of the two Wen’s Baby Cereal Puree products - which originate from Singapore - have an expiry date of Sep 15, 2023, while those for Holle Organic Wholegrain Cereal Rice, from Germany, are labelled best before Jan 20, 2024. SFA has directed manufacturer Naoki Trading and distributor Chadil to recall affected batches of the product. Arsenic is a heavy metal found naturally in the earth’s crust and in the environment. “Long-term intake of arsenic can cause cancer and skin changes,” SFA said. “Hence, exposure through food, especially those meant for young children, should be kept as low as possible.” Arsenic levels in infant food should not exceed the maximum limit of 0.1ppm, it added. “To minimise exposure to arsenic, consumers are advised to offer their infants a balanced diet with a wide variety of food,” the agency said. SFA regulates food products – including infant food –for food safety. “They are subjected to SFA’s inspection and surveillance programme, which is based on scientific risk assessment,” it said. “SFA assesses the food safety risk, such as the known hazards associated with the food, with respect to our food safety requirements, before including the food and the related hazard in our inspection and surveillance programme.” Food products that do not comply with food safety regulations will not be allowed for sale in Singapore. It advised consumers who bought the implicated products not to feed them to their children. Those whose children have already consumed the products and have concerns about their children’s health should seek medical advice. Consumers may contact their point of purchase for enquiries. Source: CNA/ga(ac)

With the Lunar New Year approaching, many restaurants and caterers have said they are facing more food orders. The National Environment Agency (NEA) has also stepped up the number of inspections it conducts during the festive season to ensure food safety. The number of inspections over Christmas and New Year last year and in the build-up to this year's Lunar New Year increased by 27 per cent compared to the previous festive season. The inspections include measuring and checking the temperature of the food served, to ensure there is no cross-contamination. And they seem to be working, with the number of hygiene lapses on the part of food retail operators decreasing. In 2013, NEA issued a total of 2,198 enforcement tickets for hygiene lapses. This was a drop of 749 tickets compared to the 2,947 issued in the previous year. Common offences included failure to keep licensed premises clean and free from pests, as well as failure to register food handlers. One of the restaurants Channel NewsAsia spoke to said they are also tightening their internal safety measures during the festive season. Irene Ong, corporate hygiene manager at Shangri-La Hotel, said: "We also carry out more inspections, internal food safety inspections. We usually do it three times a week, now we are doing it more frequently. “We carry out daily inspections. During the inspections we also remind our chefs to ensure good personal hygiene." Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/nea-steps-up-food-safety/969814.html NEA increases inspections at eateries, caterers The National Environment Agency (NEA) has stepped up checks on restaurants and caterers to minimise the risk of food poisoning incidents over Chinese New Year. The number of inspections over this festive season - which includes Christmas, New Year and the lead-up to Chinese New Year - has increased by 27 per cent, compared to the same period in 2012. The NEA has also issued advisories to event organisers, and a spokesman said: "Other than the usual checks, our officers keep a lookout for any instances of poor food and personal hygiene that may result from operators ramping up their production to cope with the increase in business volume and orders." This includes cross contamination between raw and ready-to- eat food and poor personal hygiene practices of food handlers. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/nea-increases-inspections-eateries-caterers-20140130