Frozen food company fined $10k for illegally repacking raw scallops, changing expiry date on label

Sin Hin Frozen Food was fined $10,000 on Wednesday (April 19) for labelling its seafood product with misleading information and carrying out food processing activities at an unlicensed facility.

On June 6 last year, Singapore Food Agency (SFA) officers found Sin Hin Frozen Food, a licensed cold store, engaging in illegal repacking of raw scallops at its premises located at Second Chin Bee Road. This premises is not licensed for any food processing activities, including repacking.

Officers also found that the repackaged scallops were affixed with labels with an expiry date and country of origin different from that on the original label.

About 85kg of food products were seized.

Illegal repacking of seafood at unlicensed facilities poses a food safety risk. All SFA-licensed premises must conduct activities within the licensed premises in accordance to the conditions of the licence.

Those who process food products in an unlicensed premises are liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $10,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to both.

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

Offenders are liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.