Clarification by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment
Ministry of Sustainability and the EnvironmentSpeakers
Summary
This clarification concerns a factual correction by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien regarding her earlier response about the suspension of a Ready-to-Eat (RTE) meal programme. Minister Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien stated that the meals were isolated and controlled to prevent public distribution, ensuring there was no immediate urgency from a food safety perspective. The Minister explained that the programme is currently not continuing while work to address the situation proceeds as quickly as possible. The specific correction clarifies that the packages involved are currently being collected, rather than having already been completely collected as previously stated. This update ensures accuracy in the official record concerning product testing under the Food Resilience Preparedness Programme and the recent SOTA food poisoning incident.
Transcript
The following statement was made in the reply given by the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien) during Question Time for Question Nos 1 to 3 at the Sitting of 4 March 2025:
The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): I think that we are working as quickly as we can. In the meantime, we have suspended this programme. The RTE meals are actually isolated and controlled, so we do not see that going into the public. So, there is no urgency from a food safety point of view. The packages are all collected, so we are not continuing with this programme for the time being. [Please refer to "Causes for Recent SOTA Students Food Poisoning Incident and Details of Shelf-life Product Testing under Food Resilience Preparedness Programme", Official Report, 4 March 2025, Vol 95, Issue 157, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
Written statement by Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5):
I wish to make the following factual correction to my reply during the Sitting of 4 March 2025. My reply should read as follows:
The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): I think that we are working as quickly as we can. In the meantime, we have suspended this programme. The RTE meals are actually isolated and controlled, so we do not see that going into the public. So, there is no urgency from a food safety point of view. The packages are being collected, so we are not continuing with this programme for the time being.