| NEWS ARCHIVES |
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| Penalty regime to be tightened for food hygiene offences |
| 8 Mar 2010 |
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The National Environment Agency or NEA will be tightening its penalty regime for food hygiene-related offences.
Starting next month (April), the minimum fine for such offences will be raised by $100 to between $200 and $400, depending on the severity of the offence.
Currently, licensees of food establishments are issued demerit points for public health lapses.
Their licences will be suspended or revoked if they accumulate 12 or more demerit point within a year.
But from the 1st of April, errant food handlers will face another penalty, says Minister for Environment and Water Resources, Yaacob Ibrahim.
"As an additional measure, NEA will require food handlers working for licensees suspended from 1st April 2010 to re-take and pass the Basic Food Hygiene Course before they can resume practice."
Dr Yaacob also introduced a new Points Demerit System for operators of food establishments, to place greater emphasis on overall hygiene standards of premises.
Main licensees of canteens, coffeeshops and food courts who chalk up 24 demerit points for cleanliness-related offences in a year will be required to suspend their operation for up to three days to carry out thorough cleaning of their premises.
This system will be implemented by the end of this year.
As for hawker centres, NEA will order a temporary closure of any hawker centre with poor cleanliness standards for cleaning.
The public will also have another avenue to highlight any lapses in cleanliness or hygiene standards in hawker centres at a new dedicated website. |