New food safety grading from Jan 19; businesses with consistent track records to get higher grades

SINGAPORE – The food safety grading system in Singapore will be replaced from Jan 19 with a new framework that focuses more on an establishment’s track record of ensuring food safety, rather than yearly snapshot assessments.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced on Jan 7 the new scheme, dubbed the Safety Assurance for Food Establishments (SAFE) framework.

The new framework will apply to an estimated 45,000 SFA-licensed food establishments, including food caterers, restaurants, bakeries, hawker stalls and food carts, SFA said.

Under the existing grading system

, food establishments are graded A, B, C, or D, based on an annual assessment by SFA. The current system has been in place for close to three decades.

Outlets are graded based on overall hygiene, cleanliness and housekeeping standards of the premises in a “snapshot assessment”.

According to previous media reports, a food establishment that scores 85 per cent and above is graded A. Scoring between 70 per cent and 84 per cent earns a B, between 50 per cent and 69 per cent earns a C, and between 40 per cent and 49 per cent earns a D.

This scheme provides an indication of an establishment’s food safety standards at the point of assessment, but does not reflect whether these standards are consistently maintained over time.

Under the new framework, however, food establishments with consistently good food safety track records will attain higher grades, SFA said.

Those with poor food safety track records will receive lower grades and be subjected to more frequent inspections, the agency added.

For example, a food establishment will receive a grade A if it has a good track record of more than three years. If there is a major lapse in ensuring food safety at an establishment, such as receiving a court conviction for food safety-related offences, it will be immediately downgraded to a grade C.

Food establishments that have been operating for less than a year will begin with a “New” grade to differentiate them from operators with established track records.

Dr Tan Lee Kim, SFA’s director-general of food administration, said the new framework offers a more effective way to assess food safety performance.

“By recognising food establishments that consistently maintain high standards, we strengthen food safety across the industry while empowering consumers to make informed choices,” she said.

“This is the outcome of extensive engagement with industry stakeholders, and SFA will work with food establishments through this transition.”

At a press briefing on Jan 7, Dr Tan, who is also deputy chief executive for food safety, said SFA is constantly reviewing its systems and policies, and believes that this new framework will raise the food safety standard in Singapore.

She added that using track records will help to inculcate behaviour that leads to maintaining good food safety standards.

SFA will automatically assign existing food establishments a starting grade under the SAFE framework based on their current food safety track records, which will be available to the food establishments and the public from Jan 19.

Members of the public can find out an establishment’s safety grade by scanning the QR code on the SFA licence displayed at the food establishment or by checking the

go.gov.sg/sfa-track-

records

website.

Under the new framework, close to 80 per cent of food establishments are expected to obtain at least a grade B, SFA said. More than 20 per cent will get a “New” grade, and less than 1 per cent are expected to receive a grade C due to major lapses recorded in 2025, it added.

The new framework will also differentiate food establishments into two categories, based on the level of food processing or preparation involved.

Category 1 includes food establishments involved in “significant processing or preparation of food”. They include food caterers, restaurants with a kitchen size of 16 sq m or more and food processing establishments. There are about 11,500 licensees under this category.

Category 2 establishments are considered to be engaged in “low or moderate levels of food processing or preparation”. They include bakeries, pubs and bars, as well as food stalls in hawker centres and foodcourts. There are about 33,500 licensees in this category.

In the second phase of the framework implementation, which has no start date yet, food establishments under Category 1 will be subjected to more stringent requirements to attain and maintain grade A as they are engaged in a larger scale of food processing or preparation.

These establishments, on top of maintaining their food safety track record, must meet two additional food safety requirements to attain or maintain an A grade, including having to appoint an advanced food hygiene officer and implement a food safety management system. More details for the second phase will be announced by 2027, SFA said.

Advanced food hygiene officers must, among other things, establish and oversee the food safety standards of their establishment by developing, implementing and managing food safety management systems.

A food safety management system is a holistic system of controls to identify, prevent and reduce hazards at every stage of the food handling and preparation process, from receiving ingredients to serving customers.

But, SFA said, even before the second phase is implemented, Category 1 food establishments with no grade C record can also apply to attain an A grade in a shorter duration.

This is provided that they have at least one year of good food safety track records, appoint an advanced food hygiene officer and implement a certified food safety management system.

The latest update follows an SFA announcement in 2021 that it would introduce a new food safety grading system from 2023.

At that time, SFA said the new system would consider an establishment’s track record and replace the existing letter-grade system with bronze, silver and gold awards.

In response to The Straits Times’ queries, Dr Tan said SFA had engaged extensively with industry stakeholders to gather and address their feedback.

“Following these consultations, SFA has reviewed the relevant policies to ensure the SAFE framework remains both operationally feasible and effective in its implementation. This includes retaining the ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ grading nomenclature as they are more familiar to the industry and the public,” she said.

Mr Cornelius Tan, who sells cuttlefish at Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre, said the announcement places greater responsibility on food establishments to self-regulate and reduces routine inspections by SFA officers.

“As food providers, we believe that it is important to uphold high food safety standards at all times, regardless of scoring schemes,” he said, adding that there will be no significant change to his operations.