Different categories of food and food products have to comply with different regulations and requirements, in order for them to be imported, exported, or transhipped.
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Last Updated 11 Jun 2026
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.
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.
There are currently 7 categories of food or food products listed in the Classification of Food and Food Products, namely:
Food-health products that are medicinal in nature are regulated by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
For more information, see Products in the Food-Health Product Interface.
There are specific requirements and regulations for the import, export and transhipment of live poultry, livestock or live animals. For more information, please see:
What You Need to Know for Import of Live Poultry, Livestock & Live Animal
What You Need to Know for Export/Tranship of Live Poultry, Livestock & Live Animal
Overseas establishments exporting live poultry, livestock or live animals must be accredited by SFA. For more information, please refer to Overseas Accreditation of Specific Food & Food Products.
Before importing or exporting any food and food products, check the classification of your food or food products using the table below or the Food & Related Products Classification Tool to determine the likely classification of your food or food products.
Once you have classified your food or food products, please do the following:
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.
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). | Product codes for Meat & Meat Products |
Fish & Fish Products 
| Any of the following varieties of marine, brackish water, or freshwater:
These can be live, chilled, frozen, processed or in canned form. | Product codes for Fish & Fish Products |
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. | Product codes for Fresh Fruits & Vegetables |
Eggs & Egg Products 
| Shell eggs | Product codes for Shell Eggs |
Processed Eggs
| 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:
| Product codes for Processed Food |
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:
Food utensils such as:
 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 of slaughter for consumption. Examples include live chickens and live pigs. | Product codes for Livestock and Animal Products |
Rice 
| Raw rice | Product codes for Raw Rice |
What are some common mistakes made by importers, exporters or transhippers when classifying their products?
Who can I turn to for help if I am uncertain how to classify my food or food products?
For more information
You can contact us via the SFA Online Feedback Form.
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