Regulatory Limits for Contaminants in Food

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What are contaminants in food?

Contaminants in food, or incidental constituents, are substances present in food and can occur during production, manufacturing, treatment, packing, packaging, transport, or holding of the food or as a result of environmental contamination.

For example, heavy metals like arsenic can contaminate our food when animals and plants come into contact with polluted water, soil, or seabeds.

What are the limits imposed on contaminants in food?

There are various limits imposed on different types of contaminants or incidental constituents in food. For more details, please refer to the relevant documents below:

Microbiological standards

Ready-to-eat food

Non-ready-to-eat food (till 3 Mar 2024)

Non-ready-to-eat food (from 4 Mar 2024)

Heavy metals

Mycotoxins and Marine biotoxins

Veterinary drug residues

Pesticide residues

Singapore's regulatory limits

Codex MRLs (if there are no regulatory limits specified in the Food Regulations)

Other incidental constituents

Who must comply with the limits on contaminants in food?

All food businesses must comply with the regulatory limits on incidental constituents i.e. contaminants in food. They must also comply with the Regulatory Limits for Food Additives.

Please see the Overview on Food Safety Regulatory Limits for information on food businesses which are required to comply with the limits.

How do I comply with the limits?

Step 1: Be aware of the contaminants that are commonly found in your food products

Food businesses must be aware of the contaminants that are commonly found in their food products and conduct laboratory tests as needed. You can check with your suppliers for more details as they may have already tested the products and would have this information.

You can also send samples to a laboratory to test for contaminants, if any, in your products. You may refer to the list of laboratories under SFA's Laboratory Recognition Programme (LRP).

Step 2: Check that the contaminants are within limits

If laboratory test results indicate that there are contaminants in your products, they must be within the specified limits. Use the documents above to assist you in complying with the requirements.

If your food or food products contain contaminants or incidental constituents that exceed the regulatory limits, do not import or sell them.

What is the total plate count limit for ready-to-eat (RTE) food? Do I need to test for total plate count?

Ready-to-eat (RTE) food are not required to be tested for total plate count (TPC).

What is the veterinary drug residue limits for food?

“Veterinary drugs”, as defined under Regulation 29(3) of the Food Regulations, include antibiotic and oestrogen. Regulation 33 of the Food Regulations prohibits the import or sale of meat and any food derived from meat which contains residues of the following compounds:

diethylstibestrol (3, 4-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hexene)
hexoestrol (3, 4-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)-n-hexane)
dienoestrol (3, 4-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2, 4-hexadiene)

SFA has also assessed the risk of the presence of other veterinary drug residues in various food commodities, and has established a list of maximum residue limits (MRLs) for veterinary drug residues for compliance by food businesses with effect from 1 May 2020. These MRLs can be downloaded from the SFA website at the following weblink. They will also be included in the future amendments of the Food Regulations.

For more information
You can contact us via the SFA Online Feedback Form.

Last updated: 18 Apr 2026

Overview on Food Safety Regulatory Limits