Local Legislation - AVA

One of the local legislation includes the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) which was established to ensure a resilient supply of safe food, to safeguard the health of animals and plants and facilitate agri-trade for the well-being of the nation. Their work builds on the foundations developed by the Primary Production Department (PPD).

The Legislations enforced by the organization with regards to food is namely the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) Act, the Control of Plants Act, the Fisheries Act, the Sale of Food Act, lastly, the Wholesome Meat and Fish Act.

The Veterinary Public Health Laboratory (VPHL) provides a comprehensive range of analytical services of food and feed testing. They provide analyses for Chemical contaminants and food additives, Drug residues, Pesticide residues, Foodborne microbes, Foodborne parasites, Foodborne toxins, Food and feed nutritional components, Physical quality and food authenticity, and Genetically Modified Organisms.

They use rapid test kits, selective media, immunoassays and gene technology to detect food-borne pathogens. Their state-of-the-art equipment includes spiral plater and laser colony counter for enumeration of micro-organisms, Bactometer system, VITEK automated microbial identification system, VITEK Immuno-Diagnostic Assay System and molecular biology systems using Polymerase Chain Reaction techniques with Pulse-field Gel Electrophoresis, DNA Sequencer and Riboprinter.