Classification of General Food & Food Products (2024)

Table of Contents

Who should use the classification of food and food products? What food and food products are listed in the classification? How do I use the classification? Where can I find the classification? Frequently Asked Questions References

Contents in this page

Who should use the classification of food and food products?

Food businesses, traders, consumers, and travellers who want to import, export, or tranship food and food products should identify the appropriate classification of their food or food products.

This is an important step, as each category of food and food products has to comply with a specific set of rules for the purposes of importing, exporting, or transhipping.

For example, if a business intends to import frozen pizzas, they have to classify the type of pizza appropriately, depending on the ingredients used. A pizza with meat toppings is classified as Meat & Meat Products, while a pizza with cheese toppings is classified as Processed Food.

What food and food products are listed in the classification?

There are currently 7 categories of food or food products listed in the Classification of Food and Food Products, namely:

Meat
Fish
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Shell eggs and processed eggs
Processed food and food appliances
Live animals (live poultry & livestock)
Rice

Food-Health Products

Food-health products that are medicinal in nature are regulated by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

Food-health products that are non-medicinal in nature and are taken in the form typical of food as part of a daily diet are regulated by SFA. Food-health products that are regulated by SFA include bee pollen, essence of chicken, and herbal jelly.

For more information, seeProducts in the Food-Health Product Interface.

Live Poultry and Livestock

There are specific requirements and regulations for the import, export and transhipment of live poultry, livestock or live animals. For more information, please see:

Overseas establishments exporting live poultry, livestock or live animals must be accredited by SFA. For more information, please refer to.

How do I use the classification?

Before importing or exporting any food and food products, check the classification of your food or food products using the table below or the to determine the likely classification of your food or food products.

Once you have classified your food or food products, please do the following:

Ensure you have a valid SFA registration to import food or food products. If not, please apply for one underImport Processed Food Products and Food Appliancesusing the GoBusiness portal.
Identify the licence/registration required (and the corresponding supporting documents to be submitted as part of the application for such licence/registration).
Ensure that you are able to comply with the import/export requirements for the category of food or food products. For more information, see Requirements for Licence / Permit / Registration for Import / Export.
Obtain the HS code/product code for your food or food products, which you will need for each consignment you import, export, or tranship.

HS Codes or Product Codes

Before you import, export, or tranship, make sure you understand the nature of your food or food products so that you can choose the correct or most relevant HS/product codes to avoid delays in processing your consignments.

Where can I find the classification?

The classification of food and food products is in the table below along with the HS/Product Codes.

Classification of Food and Food Products
Food Group	What is included	HS/Product Codes
Meat & Meat Products	Whole carcasses or parts of any animal or bird. These can be chilled, frozen, processed, or in canned form. They include products containing meat, animal oil, and fat such as chicken meat powder and lard. Examples of processed meat products include beef rendang, salami pizza, and bak kwa (BBQ meat slices).
Fish & Fish Products	Any of the following varieties of marine, brackish water, or freshwater: fishes crustaceans (e.g. crabs, lobsters, prawns, etc.) molluscs (e.g. squids, octopus, cuttlefish, etc.) marine sponges trepang or marine invertebrates (e.g. sea cucumber) any other form of aquatic life, including their young and eggs These can be live, chilled, frozen, processed or in canned form.
Fresh Fruits & Vegetables	Raw and unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Examples include raw (fresh) ginseng and fresh durians. Excluded: Fruits and vegetables that have undergone some processing such as cutting, peeling, canning, and freezing. These are regulated as processed food.
Eggs & Egg Products	Shell eggs	Product codes for Shell Eggs
Eggs & Egg Products	Processed Eggs salted and preserved eggs liquid and powdered eggs cooked eggs (e.g. hard-boiled eggs and omelette)	Product codes for Processed Eggs
Processed Food & Food Appliances	Processed Food All food products and supplements of a food nature that are not grouped as meat products, fish products, or fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. Examples include: mineral water wine infant formula milk and milk products such as cheese, milk powder, and yoghurt biscuits cooking oil beverages nuts insects and insect products	Product codes for Processed Food
Processed Food & Food Appliances	Food Appliances Any item that is meant to come into contact with food and beverages and does not require electricity* to function. Food ware such as: bowls cups plates pans pots water bottles Food utensils such as: chopsticks spoons Appliances that require electricity are not regulated by SFA. You may want to use the Singapore Customs HS/CA Product Code search tool instead.	Product codes for Food Appliances
Live animals (live poultry & livestock)	Live poultry, livestock and animal are domestic birds and animals meant for the purpose ofslaughter for consumption. Examples include live chickens and live pigs.	Product codes for Livestock and Animal Products
Rice	Raw rice	Product codes for Raw Rice