Avo & Co fined $5k for illegal possession of meat and seafood products with intention to sell

Fruit and vegetable store Avo & Co was fined $5,000 for possessing meat and seafood products illegally for the purpose of sale.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said in a statement that in September 2022, it found Avo & CO had possessed about 387.41kg of meat and seafood items illegally in an unlicensed cold store.

The items included frozen pork, frozen whole chicken, frozen fish fillet and frozen baby octopus. All products were seized by SFA.

The illegal storage of meat and/or seafood at unlicensed facilities pose food safety risks.

"In Singapore, all storage facilities for meat and/or seafood products must be licensed and are required to meet SFA's requirements and food safety standards," SFA said.

These licensed premises are also routinely inspected by SFA.

If found to be possessing any meat or seafood products which have been kept in unlicensed cold stores for the purpose of selling or supplying, offenders can be fined up to $50,000 and imprisoned for up to two years.

In the case of a second or subsequent conviction, they can be fined up to $100,000 and jailed for up to three years.