Singapore will remove the long-standing melamine testing requirements for Chinese milk imports after more than a decade of monitoring.
Singapore is set to remove the melamine-related requirements for importing milk and milk-related products from China, effective next Wednesday. These regulations were introduced in 2008 following the deadly melamine milk scandal that poisoned over 300,000 children in China, resulting in several deaths. Melamine, a chemical used in plastic production, was illegally added to powdered milk to artificially raise protein levels.
Under the now-revoked requirements, milk products had to be manufactured by Chinese-approved establishments. Manufacturers were required to test both raw materials and products for melamine contamination, with Chinese authorities issuing health certificates for each batch that confirmed melamine testing.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced on Thursday that these import requirements would be lifted, citing the absence of melamine contamination in milk products from China since 2012. The agency has been closely monitoring these imports and confirmed that China’s dairy industry has significantly strengthened its regulations and safety controls over the years.
Since the 2008 scandal, China has implemented tighter regulations, including enhanced production licensing, inspections, and stricter penalties for melamine-related violations across the dairy supply chain.
SFA emphasized that despite the removal of these requirements, all milk products must continue to meet food safety standards. The agency also noted that China’s dairy industry is still recovering from the scandal, with Chinese parents continuing to prefer foreign milk brands over local ones due to lingering trust issues.
In 2008, following the melamine contamination, Singapore temporarily banned the sale of Chinese-made milk products, conducting over 3,500 tests and destroying products found to contain harmful levels of melamine.
SFA assured that it will continue to work closely with the industry to ensure that all milk products imported from China remain safe for consumption.
