Statute Details
- Title: Food Safety and Security (Catalogued Insect-like Species) Order 2025
- Act Code: FSSA2025-S712-2025
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Food Safety and Security Act 2025
- Enacting Authority: Singapore Food Agency (with the approval of the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment)
- Key Power Used: Section 13(2) of the Food Safety and Security Act 2025
- Citation: SL 712/2025
- Commencement: 28 November 2025
- Making Date: 19 November 2025
- Current Version Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026 (per legislation portal status)
- Core Operative Provision: Section 2 (definition by reference to the Schedule)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Food Safety and Security (Catalogued Insect-like Species) Order 2025 is a Singapore subsidiary instrument that “catalogues” certain insect-like species for the purposes of the Food Safety and Security Act 2025. In plain terms, it creates an official list: if a species appears in the Schedule (and at the relevant stage of development stated in the Schedule), that species is treated as a “catalogued insect-like species” under the Act.
This matters because the Food Safety and Security Act 2025 is designed to regulate and manage risks relating to food safety and food security. Where the Act uses defined categories—such as “catalogued insect-like species”—the Order supplies the administrative and technical classification that triggers the Act’s regulatory framework. The Order therefore functions as the “switch” that determines which species fall within the regulatory category.
Although the extract provided contains only the enacting formula, the commencement clause, and the definition clause, the legal effect is clear: the Schedule is the operative content. The Order does not itself create broad prohibitions or licensing conditions in the extract; instead, it defines the scope of a category that is likely to be used elsewhere in the Act (for example, in requirements for handling, import, sale, processing, or other compliance obligations relating to food and food-related risks).
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the formal identity of the instrument and when it takes effect. It states that the Order is the “Food Safety and Security (Catalogued Insect‑like Species) Order 2025” and that it comes into operation on 28 November 2025. For practitioners, this is important for determining the start date of any compliance obligations that depend on the definition in Section 2.
Section 2 (Catalogued insect-like species) is the central operative provision. It provides a legal definition by reference to the Schedule. Specifically, it states that a species specified in the second column of the Schedule, at any stage of development specified opposite in the third column, is a “catalogued insect‑like species.” This drafting technique is common in Singapore subsidiary legislation: it avoids repeating long lists in the body and instead uses a Schedule as the authoritative database.
The phrase “at any stage of development specified opposite” is particularly significant. It means the regulatory category is not necessarily limited to adult insects (or any single life stage). If the Schedule lists, for example, eggs, larvae, pupae, or adults for a given species, then the definition applies to those specified stages. Practically, this can affect compliance where different life stages are handled differently (e.g., breeding, harvesting, processing, transport, or sale). A lawyer advising a supplier or importer should therefore verify not only the species name but also the stage(s) of development relevant to the product or material in question.
The Schedule (Catalogued insect-like species) is the decisive element. While the extract does not reproduce the Schedule entries, the legal structure indicates that the Schedule will contain at least three components: (i) a first column (likely an index or descriptor), (ii) the second column listing the species, and (iii) the third column listing the stage(s) of development. The Schedule is therefore where the factual classification occurs. In disputes or compliance audits, the Schedule entries will be the primary evidence of whether a particular species and life stage fall within the definition.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured in a straightforward way typical of classification orders:
(1) Enacting formula: It states the legal basis for making the Order—powers under section 13(2) of the Food Safety and Security Act 2025—and confirms that the Singapore Food Agency makes the Order with ministerial approval.
(2) Section 1: Citation and commencement.
(3) Section 2: The definition of “catalogued insect-like species” by reference to the Schedule.
(4) The Schedule: The list of species and the corresponding stage(s) of development. The Schedule is the operative “catalogue” that determines scope.
Notably, the extract indicates that the Order is intended to be presented to Parliament under a specific provision of the Act (the portal text references presentation under section 316 of the Food Safety and Security Act 2025). This is relevant to constitutional and procedural legitimacy, but the day-to-day compliance effect still flows from the definition in Section 2 and the Schedule.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
This Order applies to persons and businesses whose activities fall within the regulatory category of “catalogued insect-like species” under the Food Safety and Security Act 2025. While the Order itself is a definition instrument, its practical reach is broad because it can affect any regulated activity that the Act ties to that defined term.
In practice, the likely affected stakeholders include (depending on how the Act operationalises the category): importers and exporters of insect-like food materials; producers and processors who handle insect-like species at specified life stages; distributors and retailers selling products derived from such species; and any food business operators whose compliance obligations are triggered by the presence of a “catalogued insect-like species” in their supply chain. Lawyers should advise clients to map their products and processes to the Schedule’s species and life-stage requirements.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Even though the Order is short, it is legally significant because it determines scope. In regulatory regimes, definitions are often the hinge on which compliance turns. By cataloguing specific insect-like species (and specific life stages), the Order helps the Singapore Food Agency implement a targeted approach to food safety and security risks associated with those species.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the Order reduces ambiguity. Instead of relying on general descriptions of “insects” or “insect-like species,” the law uses an authoritative list. This supports consistent decision-making by regulators and provides clearer guidance to industry. For practitioners, this means that compliance assessments should be anchored to the Schedule entries rather than to informal classifications.
The life-stage element also has practical consequences. If a business handles only one life stage (for example, adult insects) but the Schedule includes another stage (for example, larvae), the definition may or may not apply depending on the stage actually involved. Conversely, if a business handles a stage that is included in the Schedule, the business should assume that the Act’s category-specific obligations may apply. Lawyers should therefore ensure that clients maintain accurate product specifications, batch records, and documentation describing the life stage at the point of handling or sale.
Related Legislation
- Food Safety and Security Act 2025 (authorising Act; contains the regulatory framework within which “catalogued insect-like species” is used)
- Security Act 2025 (listed in the provided metadata as related legislation; relevance would depend on cross-references in the Act or regulatory scheme)
- Legislation Timeline (for version control and amendment history; important where the Schedule may be updated)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Food Safety and Security (Catalogued Insect-like Species) Order 2025 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.