SFA debunks rumour about import of bird flu-infected poultry from Pontian, Johor

Imported live poultry are subjected to border inspections before entering Singapore.

Joshua Lee | March 17, 2020, 10:36 AM

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has debunked a rumour that bird-flu infected poultry from a farm in Pontian, Johor, has been imported into Singapore.

Import of live poultry from Pontian subjected to border inspection

"We would like to clarify that Singapore does not import chilled or frozen poultry from Pontian, as there is currently no poultry slaughterhouse in Pontian accredited by SFA to export chilled/frozen poultry to Singapore," said SFA.

The agency added that only SFA-accredited slaughterhouses are allowed to export frozen poultry from Malaysia to Singapore.

The exports must be accompanied by valid health certificates issued by Malaysia's Department of Veterinary Services.

On the other hand, Singapore does allow the import of live poultry from approved farms in Pontian. These imports must also be accompanied by valid health certificates from the Department of Veterinary Services.

They are also subjected to border inspections by the National Parks Board's Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) to ensure that the poultry are healthy before they enter Singapore.

SFA also conducts sampling and testing on the imports.

No avian influenza has been detected in poultry from Malaysia so far, said the agency.

Rumour circulated on WhatsApp

The rumour, which was circulating on WhatsApp, contained a voice message which urged people not to buy chicken or eat chicken rice for the next few days.

You can read SFA's post below:

Top images via WhatsApp and WSOC TV