HDB/URA’s Home-based Small Scale Business Scheme
Since 12 May 2020, home-based food businesses were allowed to resume operations for delivery and collection only. In Phase 2 of the reopening, home-based private dining will also be allowed from 19 June 2020, if a SafeEntry system is implemented. Home-based food businesses are required to comply with the Guidelines on Safe Distancing Measures for Home-based Food Businesses. View the video on the Dos and Don’ts for home-based food businesses.
The Malay edition of the video is available here.
The Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme by HDB and URA allows residents to prepare small quantities of food in their homes for sale.
The scale of operations in a residential unit is limited. This, together with the conditions of the Scheme, meant that food is prepared for only a very small number of people. Given this, SFA has a set of guidelines on food hygiene practices which operators under the scheme can refer to. As long as the operators comply with this set of guidelines, they will not require a licence from SFA.
In view that the food prepared by home-based business is meant to be small-scale, they should not sell the food to retail food establishments or to/at temporary fairs or offer catering services. Retailers should only sell food which is:
i. legally imported;
ii. prepared in their licensed premises; or
iii. from licensed food establishments in Singapore.
For the sale of meat and seafood products, operators should only sell products that are legally imported in compliance with the Wholesome Meat and Fish Act (WMFA). Operators should also ensure that the food they sell are obtained from SFA-regulated sources, are prepared in a hygienic manner and are safe for human consumption. In view that ready-to-eat raw fish* is considered a high-risk food as it does not go through a cooking process, and home-based operators may not have the proper facility and segregation of processes to handle ready-to-eat raw fish, home-based business operators are not allowed to prepare it for sale from home.
*Note: Under Section 2 of the Sale of Food Act (Cap 283), “fish” means any species of fish (whether marine or freshwater), and includes crustacea, shellfish, echinoderm and molluscs; and the eggs and young of any fish.
Persons who handle and prepare food under this scheme are encouraged to attend Food Safety Course Level 1. The list of SSG-approved training providers can be downloaded here.
Operators will still be subject to section 40 of the Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA) on provision of unfit food for consumption.
Section 40 EPHA: Articles of food unfit for human consumption
(1) No person shall, without lawful excuse, have in his possession for sale by retail any article of food intended for human, consumption which is unsound or unfit for human consumption.
