Overview on Food Safety Regulatory Limits

To ensure food safety, regulatory limits are imposed for substances present in food, including food additives and incidental constituents, as prescribed in the Food Regulations. All food businesses selling food in Singapore must comply with these regulatory limits.

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Why are there food safety regulatory limits?

SFA establishes regulatory limits for substances present in food (i.e. food additives and incidental constituents) to ensure food safety and protect consumer health.

Singapore Food Agency

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Last Updated 28 Jul 2026

How does SFA determine the regulatory limits?

Singapore’s food safety regulatory limits are developed with reference to the standards established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). The CAC is the international food standards-setting body formed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Where international standards are not available, regulations in major developed countries are taken into consideration. SFA also considers local food consumption patterns and conducts risk assessments before establishing the appropriate regulatory limits in Singapore.

When does SFA revise the regulatory limits?

SFA continuously monitors and conducts risk assessments to ensure that the regulatory limits remain up-to-date and aligned with the latest scientific knowledge on food safety.

SFA will conduct public consultations as and when the regulatory limits are revised. These revisions are published in the Legislation.

Who must comply with the food safety regulatory limits?

All food businesses selling food in Singapore must comply with the Legislation, including the regulatory limits imposed on food additives and incidental constituents.

Examples of food businesses include:

licensed food retailers such as hawker stalls, food stalls, coffee shops, and canteens
licensed food manufacturers and food processing plants, such as biscuit factories and confectioneries
licensed food importers
online retailers, group buy organisers, provision shops, and any other entity selling food

How do businesses comply with the regulatory limits?

Businesses must ensure that the food additives and incidental constituents in the food they sell are within the specified limits.

Food additives are substances such as food colouring, emulsifiers, flavouring agents, and preservatives that are added to food products to improve their appearance, texture, flavour, or shelf life.

Incidental constituents are substances that may be present in food products due to environmental contamination, processing, packaging, etc.

For details, see:

Regulatory Limits for Food Additives Regulatory Limits for Contaminants in Food