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Singapore OKs U.S. Chilled Pork
By Bernard Kong
Last October, Singapore
approved imports of chilled pork from the United States.
Worldwide, only one other plant, in Australia, has gained
approval to ship to this market.
Before this concession, the only pork available in Singapore, other than a small amount of imported frozen pork, has been fresh pork, imported on the hoof from neighboring Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Pulau Bulan,.
Singapore authorities have been reluctant to interfere with the traditional and cultural preferences for this type of pork, called "warm pork" because it is unrefrigerated after slaughter.
However, two compelling reasons mandate a change in pork purchasing preferences for Singaporean cooks.
Besides health and sanitary concerns about the current distribution practices of warm pork, pig production may soon decline in Malaysia. This country is industrializing quickly; demand for land and unpolluted water supplies is expected to progressively squeeze acreage held by southern peninsula pig farmers.
Singapore’s warm pork market is large, requiring 1.2 million pigs a year and averaging 108,000 metric tons of meat. If chilled pork succeeds in catching the consumer’s fancy–and it’s off to a good start–live imports could diminish greatly. Outlets of NTUC Fairprice, Singapore’s largest supermarket chain, are stocking the chilled pork.
Strict Conditions for Entry
Singapore authorities require certificates from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) that state the chilled pork meat:
How To Get More Information
Additional information about labeling, documentation and certification requirements is available on the USDA FSIS website: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ofo/export/singapor.htm
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The author is an agricultural specialist with the U.S.
Agricultural Trade Office at the American Embassy in Singapore.
Tel.: (2712) 342-1891; Fax: (2712) 342-2264; E-mail: ato_sing@pacific.net.sg
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