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Another company fined $5,000 for illegally importing vegetables

This article is more than 12 months old

A company was fined $5,000 on Wednesday (July 27) for illegally importing fresh vegetables for sale, in the second such case this week.

Topstar Trading had failed to declare and under-declared about 250kg of fresh vegetables imported from Malaysia on March 23 last year, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

All the illegal consignments were seized, it added.

The company's director Tiong Lee Chian, was also fined $5,000 for failing to prevent the offence from being committed.

On Monday, another importer, JQA, was also fined $5,000 for illegally importing about 362.4 kg of fresh fruits and vegetables for sale.

Fruits and vegetables can be imported only by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied with a valid import permit, SFA said.

It said illegally imported vegetables are of unknown sources and can pose a food safety risk, for example, when unregulated or high levels of pesticides are used.

"The long-term ingestion of excessive pesticide residues through the consumption of vegetables that have been subjected to pesticide abuse could lead to adverse health effects," SFA said.

Offenders who illegally import fresh fruits and vegetables can be fined a maximum of $10,000, imprisoned for up to three years, or both.

SFA/SINGAPORE FOOD AGENCYVEGETABLEFOOD HYGIENE/SAFETY