Yes, you can someday bring in bak kwa from JB, but not yet

Have you heard of the Food Safety and Security Bill (FSSB)?

Yes, it sounds a bit technical (and perhaps a little drab) but it concerns something that you, your relatives, and your friends enjoy every year.

The FSSB is what's going to let you (finally, eventually) bring in bak kwa from JB.

Bring in more food from more countries

The FSSB is a revamp and consolidation of various food-related legislation into a single Act that will make it easier for consumers and industry to reference.

The Bill was introduced in Parliament for a first reading in mid-November 2024; Parliament will debate it at the second reading in January 2025.

Part of it involves giving consumers greater flexibility in the food they bring into Singapore for private consumption; consumers will be able to bring in greater quantities of food from more countries.

Currently, there is a limit on the types and amount of food you can bring in from other countries for individual consumption:

• 5kg of meat and seafood
• A reasonable quantity (hand-carry size) of fruits and vegetables
• 30 hen eggs

Once the Food Safety and Security Act is implemented, consumers will be allowed to bring in 15kg of food across all categories for private consumption.

You will be able to bring in most types of foods except for:

• Meat or meat product that is not pork, beef, lamb, mutton or venison
• Meat or meat product that is not from a chicken, duck, turkey, goose, quail, or domesticated pigeon
• Pufferfish, or any fish product derived from pufferfish
• Live fertilised or embryonated egg
• Animal blood or blood products, such as blood curd
• Raw or unpasteurised liquid milk
• Chewing gum
• Foods that contain ingredients that are not approved for market

Equally important for bak kwa lovers is the fact that with the FSSB, you will be able to bring in meat or meat products from any country.

Currently, travellers entering Singapore can bring in meat and meat products from only a small group of approved countries.

A quick check on the Singapore Food Agency's website shows that Malaysia isn't an approved source for meat:

This is why you cannot bring in bak kwa from JB right now.

So when can you start bringing in bak kwa from JB?

Hold your horses; don't go zipping off to Wing Heong or Oloiya just yet.

The Bill still has to go through a parliamentary debate in January.

Even after the Bill is passed in Parliament, it takes time for the changes to be implemented.

There's no telling when the limits on bringing in bak kwa from JB will be lifted; you'll have to wait for updates from SFA:

In the meantime, you can head here for more information on the FSSB and here for current limits on the foods that you can bring in from overseas.

For those who are a tad more adventurous, you can try making bak kwa at home:

Top image credit: Facebook, Canva.