Food Safety and Hygiene for Migrant Workers Staying in Dormitories

18 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether there are plans to monitor food safety and hygiene for migrant workers staying in dormitories regulated under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act; and (b) if so, what are they.

Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officers regularly inspect dormitories regulated under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act. These inspections cover measures to ensure food safety and hygiene, such as ensuring that cooking areas within dormitories are clean and well-maintained. Dormitory operators must only cater food from licensed sources and take reasonable measures to ensure that the delivered food is protected from contamination until it is collected by residents, such as setting up proper food storage and collection points. Dormitory operators must also ensure that non-refrigerated food storage facilities are designed to keep out pests.

Dormitories that do not meet these requirements are required to rectify the lapses immediately. MOM will take appropriate enforcement actions against errant dormitory operators.

Dormitory residents with food-related issues can approach MOM’s Forward Assurance and Support Team (FAST) officers or report the issues via the FWMOMCare mobile application.