Residents of Singapore will soon have access to pig's blood products as local authorities have approved their import from an accredited slaughterhouse in Thailand. This decision comes after the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) conducted thorough food safety assessments.

In a circular released on April 1, the SFA announced that it has granted approval for heat-treated pork blood products from Bangkhla Pig Slaughterhouse. Each shipment of these products must include an official health certificate issued by Thai authorities, confirming compliance with Singapore's animal health and food safety standards.

"Traders are reminded that pork and pork products can only be imported from SFA-approved sources," the circular emphasized.

Available in Singapore Stores Within 1 to 2 Months

According to Lianhe Zaobao, CP Foods Singapore will handle the importation of pig's blood from Thailand. The food distribution company stated that it has been selling pre-packaged pasteurized pig's blood curd from Bangkhla Pig Slaughterhouse for several years.

This product, often used in pig organ soup, is expected to be available in Singapore stores within the next one to two months.

Since the Nipah virus outbreak in 1999, which resulted in the death of an abattoir worker, animal blood food products—including pig's blood and duck blood—have been banned in Singapore. Following this outbreak, the collection of pig blood from local abattoirs was prohibited, and no pig blood has been supplied since, as reported by CNA in 2021.

The Nipah virus outbreak also led to the suspension of live pig imports from Malaysia, a ban that lasted until 2017 when authorities permitted the export of livestock from a farm in Sarawak, Malaysia.

In 2018, a mala hotpot restaurant chain faced fines for related infractions, while in 2021, a Thai restaurant was found selling a dish containing pig blood curd. The SFA noted that animal blood is a potential breeding ground for bacteria and can harbor diseases, and that improper harvesting practices could introduce foodborne pathogens into these products.

In 2023, a woman was fined $12,000 for illegally importing various food products, including duck's blood, pig's blood, and sheep's blood from China, according to CNA.

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