SINGAPORE - The owner of Golden Banana House, a produce store in Golden Mile Complex, was fined $7,500 on Thursday for illegally importing nearly a tonne of fresh produce and processed food products.
Singapore Food Agency (SFA) officers discovered in October 2021 that the store’s owner, Muanglot Radroop, had illegally imported more than 900kg of undeclared and under-declared fresh fruits and vegetables as well as 65kg of undeclared processed food from Thailand, the agency said on Thursday.
SFA subsequently seized the illegal consignments.
The agency said: “In Singapore, food imports must meet SFA’s requirements. Fruits and vegetables can be imported only by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied by a valid import permit.”
It added that illegal imported vegetables come from unknown sources and could pose safety risks to consumers due to unregulated or high levels of pesticides. Ingesting too much pesticide residues over a long term could affect one’s health adversely.
A person found guilty of illegally importing fresh fruits and vegetables can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $10,000, or both.
If found guilty of illegally importing processed produce, he can be fined up to $1,000 for the first offence and up to $2,000 for subsequent offences.
