Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on checks on imported durians

Oct 1, 2018

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development whether there have been any imported fresh durians that have failed the food safety check or found to be contaminated or tainted with chemicals or excessive chemical agents that were not allowed to be imported for the past three years.

Answer:

As part of its food safety regime, AVA inspects and takes samples from imported fruits, including durians, to ensure that they comply with our standards and requirements. Samples are tested for the presence of pesticide residues and other non-permitted chemicals. Imported fruits that fail AVA’s inspection and food safety tests will not be allowed for sale.

Over the past three years, all the durian samples tested have met our food safety standards.