Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Impact of Avian Flu by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Impact of Avian Flu by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) to what extent does the global avian flu situation pose a threat to our local poultry and egg supply; and (b) how many recalls or suspensions of poultry products has the Singapore Food Agency implemented in the past three years.

Answer:

1 The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and National Parks Board (NParks) monitor High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak incidents globally and suspend import sources with outbreaks of HPAI. SFA has not recalled any poultry products due to HPAI.

2 Incidences of HPAI have had a significant impact in their source countries, affecting both poultry and egg production. As Singapore imports more than 90% of our food, we cannot insulate ourselves completely from the impact of disease outbreaks such as HPAI. We mitigate the potential impact through source diversification. Consumers too can play their part by being flexible with food options in the event of supply disruptions.