Food importer and director fined $55k for selling smoked duck falsely labelled as halal

A food importer and its director were fined for selling smoked duck falsely labelled as halal to the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura's (Muis) halal-certified food establishments.

Yocorn Food Enterprise and its director Wan Lijun were fined $35,000 and $20,000 respectively, Muis and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said in a joint statement. 

In addition, Yocorn had sold a partial consignment of frozen fish products before inspection, examination, and certification by the SFA.

In June 2019, Muis had detected a dubious halal certificate for smoked duck purported issued by ARA Halal Certification and Services Centre Inc (ARA), a halal certification body based in China.

The smoked duck was imported from China by its sole distributor, Yocorn.

ARA confirmed to Muis that the halal certificate was false and was not issued by them.

Subsequently, when Muis officers visited Yocorn in August, 2019, its director Wang claimed to be unaware of the false halal certificate.

Upon Muis officers' advice, Wang agreed to stop representing its smoked ducks as halal and to remove all false halal logos from the product packaging. 

Muis kept the matter in view and monitored the possible purchase of smoked ducks by Muis halal certificate holders.

There were no subsequent purchases of smoked ducks from Yocorn by Muis' halal certificate holders detected until June 2020, albeit with a different ARA halal certificate.

Muis did another verification with ARA, which again confirmed that this halal certificate was also false and not issued by them.

Muis visited Yocorn again and instructed them to cease representing and selling its smoked ducks as halal.

In both instances, when false halal certificates were detected, Muis informed its halal certificate applicants to either dispose of or return their stock of smoked ducks and to source for alternative halal-certified products.

Muis also issues a similar memo to all its halal certificate holders regarding the false ARA halal certificates for imported smoked ducks.

Muis reported the matter to SFA on June 24.

On July 3, SFA found 4,455 packets of smoked ducks weighing 4,009.5kg with halal labels at Yocorn's premises. 

Wang had continued to sell non-halal smoked duck products as halal despite Muis' instruction not to do so almost a year earlier.

In December 2021, SFA completed its investigations and charged Yocorn under the Wholesome Meat and Fish Act.

Every packet of meat, fish and seafood product must be clearly marked and the date labelled to ensure traceability.

Anyone found guilty of an offence will face a fine of up to $10,000 or up to 12 months' jail, or both.

Every packet of meat, fish and seafood product must also be labelled in the prescribed manner and must not be labelled with any information which is false, inaccurate or misleading. 

Offenders will face a fine of up to $50,000, or up to two years' jail, or both.

Repeat offenders will face a fine of up to $100,000, up to three years' jail or both.

On Feb 3, Yocorn imported 692kg of frozen sliced smoked salmon trout from China and sold over 109kg of the consignment before SFA had inspected, examined and certified it.

In Singapore, importers must arrange for imported meat and fish products to be inspected, examined and certified by an authorised examiner before it is sold, distributed or exported.

Meat and fish products which are found to be unfit for human consumption will be seized and disposed of.

Offenders who fail to arrange for their meat and fish consignments to be inspected, examined and certified by an authorised examiner before sale or distribution can face a fine of up to $10,000 or up to 12 months' jail or both.

Offenders who had sold their meat and fish consignments which had not been inspected will face a fine of up to $50,000 or up to two years' jail or both.

Repeat offenders will face a fine of up to $100,000 or up to three years' jail.