Following detections of melamine contamination in Chinese dairy products in 2008, authorities in China have been stepping up on the safety of milk and milk products in the country. Not only do local plants now have to adhere to strict requirements, dairy exports to China must also comply with new regulations and be registered with China Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) by 1 May 2014. Products from dairy plants that are not registered with CNCA will not be allowed entry into China.

AVA worked closely with the licensed dairy exporting plants in Singapore to ensure that proper documentations are submitted to CNCA for assessment. Three inspectors from CNCA arrived in Singapore to audit four dairy plants and assess AVA’s food safety control system. They found the standards and quality management of dairy products produced in Singapore to be up to expectation.

General milk products made in Singapore have met requirements of Chinese authorities and are now allowed to enter China.

As a result, a total of six dairy plants in Singapore successfully gained approval to export infant formula and general milk products to China (as of 2 September 2014).

As of 29 December 2014, Singapore and South Korea were the only two Asian countries among a list of 18 to be approved for export of infant formula to China. Among the 29 countries approved for export of general milk products to China, only Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea were from Asia.

AVA will continue to work with the industry and CNCA to facilitate the registration and approval of other eligible plants that are keen to export dairy products to China. A complete and updated list of CNCA-registered dairy plants is available at www.cnca.gov.cn/.