AVA Newsletter Issue 2 2012

AVA Vision

Issue 2/2012

AVA - the national authority for food safety, and animal and plant health

Exercise Gallus: Ever on Guard

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AVA’s Bird Flu contingency plan is tested to be robust and efficient in eradicating the disease during an outbreak.

ingapore is free from the Bird Flu, and Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) is committed to making sure that we continue to keep this disease out of our country. This prevention is achieved through our strict import control, comprehensive monitoring and surveillance, inspection, sampling, and quarantine procedures.

Nevertheless, the threat of Bird Flu is ever present. While AVA has an effective system in place to eradicate the disease efficiently in the case of an outbreak, it is also vital that we remain on our guard, by constantly testing and reviewing the robustness of our system and operations.

Exercise Gallus VI This year, our sixth exercise, code-named “Exercise Gallus VI”, tested AVA’s crisis management framework and the operational readiness of AVA staff when dealing with

an outbreak of Bird Flu. Held on 22 March 2012 at AVA’s Veterinary Public Health Centre and a local poultry farm, we scrutinised the different aspects of the contingency plan to identify areas that require modification or improvement. In summary, the exercise examined: • The activation and recall process for emergency response staff.

• Efficiency of logistic teams in preparing staff for their assigned duties.

• Efficiency of the system of “culling” and disposal (no chickens were used in this exercise).

• A new foam decontamination process.

• A new surveillance protocol at an “unaffected” poultry farm.

The test showed that our activation and recall process continues to be smooth, as the emergency response staff continued on p2

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Food Bites

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Corporate Cuts

2 more effective disinfection of the protective outwear and equipment donned by cullers. This new process was carried out well, and took a shorter time to complete than in previous exercises.

AVA officers put on their masks as part of the protective outwear and equipment.

involved reacted promptly when activated. Over 200 AVA officers were involved in this exercise. Some of them were new staff participating in such an exercise for the first time, while some others were involved in previous exercises.

When Bird Flu breaks out in a particular farm, this does not mean that all other farms must be affected too. The new surveillance protocol at an “unaffected farm” is a component of our contingency plan that helps us to determine if the other farms were infected by the disease. The test carried out in this protocol included correctly equipping and preparing the operational units, taking samples swaps from the chickens, and packaging the swaps. The samples were then delivered to our laboratories for tests to establish that the farm is unaffected by Bird Flu.

The logistics teams were able to correctly equip and prepare staff involved in the exercise (e.g. registration, medical screening, and donning of protective outerwear and equipment) in a timely manner. The mock “culling and disposal” process was carried out efficiently, with the use of sand bags instead of chickens. No real chickens were used in the exercise, as staff involved were already familiarised with the handling of live chickens at a recent training session.

Testing on Two New Components In addition, two new areas were tested, namely the foam decontamination protocol and the surveillance protocol at an “unaffected” poultry farm. The liquid disinfectant used in previous exercises was replaced by a foam decontamination process, which improves the removal of dirt and provides

Mock culling and disposal of sand bags, used in replacement of live chickens.

Coordinated Approach to Bird Flu Control

The new surveillance protocol was tested during the Exercise Gallus, and it involved taking sample swaps from chickens in the layer farms.

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In fostering a coordinated approach to Bird Flu control, AVA also invited several different groups of stakeholders – including the Wildlife Reserves Singapore; Singapore Civil Defence Force; Malaysia’s Department of Veterinary Services; as well as Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department – to observe this exercise and share their feedback on how our contingency plan can be improved. As an outbreak of Bird Flu could strike without warning and notice, AVA will continue to remain vigilant and prepared through regular exercises, as well as constant refinement and improvement.

Animal Agenda

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Animal Management: Nurturing a Conducive-­For­‐All Living Environment While ensuring responsible pet ownership and safeguarding animal welfare, AVA and the government also aim to cultivate community cohesiveness. With these in mind, a pilot on the First Responder Protocol for animal-related feedback was introduced, along with two pilot programmes that will enlarge the space for pet ownership.

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ur society is made up of animal lovers, as well as residents who prefer to stay away from animals.

For the latter, it is impossible to avoid animals completely in our housing estates where we live in close proximity with our neighbours. Therefore, while enlarging the space for pet ownership and protecting animal welfare, AVA and the government also strive to cultivate community cohesiveness.

To nurture a living environment that is conducive for everyone and inclusive of animals, a governmental interagency taskforce (consisting members from the Ministry of National Development, AVA, and the Housing Development Board) had conducted an extensive exercise to gather public feedback on pet ownership and management of strays. The taskforce is also working out the details for the implementation of two pilot projects this year – a project to re-home stray dogs to HDB flats, and another that allows cat ownership in HDB flats in the Chong Pang estate.

First Responder Protocol on Animal-­Related Feedback The review of our policy on pet ownership is not solely for cats and dogs and their owners. It also aims to foster harmonious community living and good relations between the various segments of society in sharing our common spaces. Animal-related issues arise from time to time and we need to work with our stakeholders – comprising animal welfare groups, residents, town councils, and government agencies – to jointly take responsibility in managing them.

To ensure that public feedback on immediate animalrelated issues is handled effectively, AVA is taking the lead in piloting the “First Responder Protocol”. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister-in-Charge of the Civil Service Teo Chee Hean announced the implementation of this pilot protocol in his speech during the debate of the Committee of Supply on 1 March 2012.

AVA, together with a governmental interagency taskforce, is working out the details to implement a pilot project that allows cat ownership in HDB flats in the Chong Pang estate.

Under this protocol, AVA, as the first agency that receives any animal-related feedback, will analyse whether we have some domain expertise required to resolve it. Where necessary, we will also work with relevant agencies to coordinate and provide timely responses, and then close the loop with the member of the public who gave the feedback.

Members of the public may also approach any public agencies on animal-related matters, and AVA will liaise with the relevant agencies for follow-up action.

Mr Teo added in his speech: “There is also a group of issues which quite frankly, we will find it hard to meet the AVA Vision | Issue 2/2012

4 expectations of members of the public. People will have different views on, for example, whether a bird singing in the morning is noise or a happy reminder of nature.” He

continued, “In these cases, we hope that members of the public understand that it may not be possible for the Public Service to meet their expectations”.

AVA Friends of the Animals Blog: Animal Lovers Share Their Passions Further stepping up on our role in safeguarding the welfare of animals, AVA initiated a blog series called “Friends of the Animals”. Through the blog’s platform, animal lovers come together to share personal stories of their pets or their interesting experiences with animals. The first blog post was published on 9 March 2012 on AVA’s Responsible Pet Ownership (RPO) microsite, www.petsforlife.com.sg/news.

AVA staff, as well as members from animal welfare groups, will be contributing to this blog on a fortnightly basis.

In addition to these blog entries, the microsite features news on our RPO community outreach events, as well as a wealth of information on how to choose and care for a pet. These information compliment AVA’s RPO programme to raise public awareness on better care and welfare for pets. A host of RPO activities and programmes are also available for the public and organisations such as schools to sign up. Log on to www.petsforlife.com.sg to find out more!

Revision of The Code of Ethics for Veterinarians Implemented in February 2012, the revised Code of Ethics for Veterinarians now includes new items that have become increasingly relevant to the profession today.

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he Code of Ethics for Veterinarians sets out appropriate standards for professional conduct to establish and maintain the highest standards of integrity, skill and practice in the profession of veterinary medicine. It also guides veterinarians’ in their relationships with patients, clients, colleagues, and the community.

To ensure that the Code of Ethics remains relevant and continues to suit the needs of the veterinary community today, AVA and the Singapore Veterinary Association (SVA) commenced a joint review of it in July 2010. During the two-year review, AVA and SVA consulted with veterinarians and practice owners, and drew reference from various international codes of ethics for veterinarians. All comments

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and feedback received in the course of consultation were carefully considered and included where possible.

The revised version was implemented in February 2012.

The main changes were made on the following: • Standards and media of advertising • Clarification on cosmetic and other optional procedures • Guidance on the choice of therapies and prescription of drugs/diets • Guidance on ownership of medical records • Guidance on discussion of fees with clients The complete revised Code of Ethics can be downloaded from the AVA website at www.ava.gov.sg.

Plant Picks

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AVA Lends Support to Urban Farmers in Community Gardens AVA imparts essential skills to community gardeners who are keen to grow vegetables under the Community in Bloom programme.

Hong, Marsiling, and Sin Ming estates) were invited to attend the lessons, where essential skills such as planting bed preparation, fertilising, irrigation, and harvesting were covered, with a focus on gailan, caixin, xiaobaicai and kangkong. These residents then passed on the skills they learnt to other gardeners in their communities.

Minister of State for Finance & Transport, Mrs Josephine Teo (2nd left), harvesting lettuces at the Sin Ming Community in Bloom garden with AVA CEO, Ms Tan Poh Hong (3rd left), on 15 January 2012.

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ince 2005, National Parks Board has been working hand-in-hand with residents around Singapore to create beautiful gardens to spruce up their living environments under the ‘Community in Bloom’ programme. Today, about 480 community gardens of flowers, herbs, spices or even vegetables and fruit trees have sprung up in public and private housing estates, schools, as well as hospitals and welfare homes.

With technical expertise and advice from AVA, the Sin Ming Community in Bloom Garden, in particular, has flourished within a short span of time. It is now identified as a “champion garden” with a task to share its experience with other Community in Bloom gardens. AVA hopes the success of the Community in Bloom Garden in Sin Ming will spur more residents to participate in the programme. AVA also intends to expand the programme to reach out to two to three additional community gardens every year, with plans to introduce new technologies, such as AVA’s vertical growing kits, to suitable community gardens.

Although interest is growing by the day, not all residents are farmers or have green fingers to build their vegetable gardens from scratch. To help these gardens bear fruits and yield harvests, AVA conducted a series of intensive weekly vegetable growing lessons and hands-on training for the aspiring urban farmers.

From July to November 2011, keen residents from five Community in Bloom gardens (in Boon Lay, Goldhill, Keat

Hands-­on advice from an AVA officer, Mr Cliff Tham (right), at the Sin Ming Community in Bloom garden.

Minister for National Development, Mr Khaw Boon Wan (front row 10th from left,) and AVA CEO, Ms Tan Poh Hong (front row 5th from left), visited the Goldhill Community in Bloom garden and its urban farmers on 28 March 2012.

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Pro‐Enterprise Enhancements to Benefit Fruit and Vegetable Importers

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Cost-saving changes made to post-entry inspection procedures and submission frequencies of laboratory reports.

VA is constantly reviewing and improving our processes to be more pro-enterprise and customer-centric. Between 2011 and 2012, a joint taskforce comprising AVA and industry stakeholders reviewed the post-entry inspection procedures of fresh fruits and vegetables, to co-create pro-business solutions that better facilitate trade without compromising food safety.

sample and inspect a targeted consignment within the whole shipment.

Enhancements to Post-­Entry Inspections of Targeted Consignments

In addition, importers can opt to have these targeted consignments inspected at their own premises, instead of delivering them to PPWC. Appointments can be made with AVA officers to visit the importers’ premises for inspection.

This is a time-and cost-saving enhancement for importers located outside of the PPWC, and it helps to tighten the flow of logistics, thereby ensuring the freshness and quality of the fresh fruits and vegetables. By January 2012, about seven percent of all post-entry inspections of fresh fruits and vegetables were conducted at importers’ premises.

Our collaboration resulted in two enhancements made to the post-entry inspection of imported fresh fruits and vegetables. Previously, importers were required to deliver entire shipments to the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre (PPWC) directly after customs clearance, for AVA officers to

From August 2011, importers are required to send only the targeted consignments to PPWC for inspection by AVA officers, instead of the entire shipment. This way, the nontargeted consignments can be distributed for retail, without being held up at PPWC.

Reduction of Laboratory Report Submission Frequencies Besides enhancements to post-entry inspection procedures, AVA also implemented cost-saving changes to the submission of laboratory reports of imported minimally processed fruits and vegetables.

With effect from March 2012, importers of minimally processed fruits and vegetables (that are in a ready-to-eat form) from Malaysia no longer need to submit laboratory reports to AVA on a monthly basis, to certify that the products meet the food safety requirements. Minimally processed ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables will be certified at source by the Ministry of Health of Malaysia.

An AVA officer collecting samples from the targeted consignments of vegetables at importers’ premises for inspection.

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According to our surveillance and inspections, certain fruits and vegetables imported from other countries have also shown consistent compliance with AVA’s safety requirements. Therefore, the submission of laboratory reports for minimally processed non-leafy vegetables from all other countries will also be waived from May 2012. In addition, the frequency of submission of laboratory reports for minimally processed leafy vegetables and minimally processed fruits from other countries will be reduced from a monthly to semi-annually basis.

Food Bites

7 Addition to list of Minimally Processed Fruits

All trimmed, shaved, and polished coconuts, which were regulated as fresh fruits in the past, have been regulated as minimally processed coconuts.

Notwithstanding these provisions, AVA will continue to carry out surveillance on these products to ensure that they continue to comply with our requirements. AVA held dialogue sessions with the industry to brief stakeholders of the changes and provide them with a platform to

All trimmed, shaved, and polished coconuts, which were regulated as fresh fruits in the past, have been regulated as minimally processed coconuts with effect from 1 April 2012. All importers importing minimally processed coconuts are required to declare import permits for minimally processed coconuts under Processed Food and Food Appliances.

seek clarifications. Many traders have applauded the improvements made, and are further encouraged to continue working collaboratively with AVA to streamline our processes and workflow.

Securing Food Safety at Source AVA organised a five-day training course on Foot-­and-­Mouth Disease diagnosis, surveillance, risk analysis, and zoning for officials from China and AVA.

Participants at the five-day training course gained valuable insights to the regional and international situation of the Foot-and-Mouth disease. They are photographed here with Director-General and Deputy CEO of AVA’s Regulatory Programmes & Operations Group (front row middle) and the experts who spoke at the course.

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s most of the food we eat is imported, AVA adopts a diversification strategy to facilitate a steady flow of a wide variety of food into Singapore. This supply, however, can be threatened by unexpected outbreaks of animal diseases, such as the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), a highly infectious virus that affects clovenhoofed animals. To minimise the potential supply disruptions that could be caused by such a disease outbreak, AVA has been working with the Jilin province of China since May 2010 to establish and maintain a Foot-and-Mouth DiseaseFree Zone (DFZ). This DFZ supports the development of an integrated pig farming project in efforts to build up Jilin as an added supply of safe pork to Singapore.

To equip AVA and Jilin government officials with up-to-date knowledge on the best ways to establish and maintain the zone’s disease-free status, AVA organised a training course of FMD diagnosis, surveillance, risk analysis, and zoning on 6-10 February 2012. Experts from China’s Ministry of Agriculture, Qingdao Risk Assessment Centre, Lanzhou Veterinary Reference Laboratory, Murdoch University, Australian Animal Health Laboratory of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) were invited to impart their expertise. The course was conducted in both English and Mandarin concurrently.

The topics covered helped to improve the participants’ proficiency in epidemiology and diagnosis for FMD, and provided valuable insights to the FMD disease situations regionally and internationally. Participants were also able to better appreciate the international standards for zoning and control of the disease, as well as its impact on trade. Besides addressing the challenges pertinent to the zoning and surveillance of FMD, the course also fostered greater cooperation between participants from China and Singapore.

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Enhancing Value And Sustainability of Fishery Products in Asean AVA, through the Marine Fisheries Research Department, organised a series of regional training courses to transfer knowledge on producing value-added products and implementing traceability systems.

technical know-how and an understanding of the equipment needed to process freshwater fish into value-added products, such as sausages, patties, spicy pastes, murukku, siew mai, and crackers. At the same time, these participants from Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore also learned more about the importance of Good Manufacturing Practices, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point systems, and product shelf life tests.

Armed with the practical knowledge attained from this training course, participants are expected to commence product development and processing trials on converting freshwater fish into value-added products, in their respective countries this year. The resultant findings and outcomes will be published in a handbook, which will further support SEAFDEC’s aim to promote sustainable fisheries development in ASEAN.

Traceability for Sustainability

Participants in a hands-on session to learn how to make Fish Murukku, a value-added fish product.

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reshwater fishes are an important resource in many ASEAN countries. Not only is it a nourishing source of food, it is also an indispensable raw material for fish meat processors and fish product manufacturers.

Despite the economic significance of freshwater fishes, products made from this raw material by most ASEAN countries have little added value.

To facilitate the development of innovative products made from local freshwater fish species, AVA is leading the way for ASEAN countries to share and transfer technology. As the Collaborating Centre of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC), AVA implements all the programmes under SEAFDEC’s Marine Fisheries Research Department (MFRD) to drive research and development of post-harvest technology for fisheries and the fish processing industry in the region.

In promoting sustainability in fisheries, the implementation of traceability systems is equally important. An effective traceability system enhances food safety and helps open more doors to export opportunities. To provide a platform for ASEAN countries to share information on and experiences in aquaculture traceability, AVA and MFRD conducted a three-­day training course in collaboration with Vietnam’s Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on 28-30 November 2011.

During the training course, regional experts in this field spoke on the role of traceability in Good Agricultural Practices in Vietnam, as well as the international regulations on food traceability and how they apply to the aquaculture

Utilisation of Freshwater Fish for Value-­Added Products One such programme is the “Utilisation of Freshwater Fish for Value-Added Products”, which included a regional training course held on 18-21 October 2011. Organised by AVA/MFRD, the course equipped participants with the

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During the visit to a fish processing factory in Vietnam, participants learnt the application of traceability in an industrial setting.

Fishy Business

9 industry. The 23 participants from 10 ASEAN countries also visited a fish processing factory and an aquaculture fish farm in Vietnam to obtain handson experiences on the application of traceability in an industrial setting.

Participants discussed and proposed solutions to mitigate the current and potential challenges they face in implementing traceability systems in the aquaculture industries of their respective countries.

Following these activities, participants discussed the current and potential challenges they face in implementing traceability systems in the aquaculture industries of their respective countries.

A list of possible solutions to mitigate these challenges were proposed. They also mapped out the generic supply chains of the aquaculture industries in ASEAN, and identified the types of information needed from stakeholders within these supply chains to trace the products’ sources.

Active Support for Local Fish Farms

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Through training workshops and seminars, AVA helps local fish farms to raise production capability and competitiveness.

ingapore consumed more than 77,700 tonnes of fish (live, fresh, and chilled) in 2010. Only seven percent of this amount comes from local fish farms. As local production plays an important role in ensuring a resilient supply of safe food, by cushioning the impact of sudden disruptions from overseas sources, the government aims to raise self-sufficiency in fish to 15 percent. To achieve this target, AVA is actively helping local fish farms to raise productivity and capability.

On 17 February 2012, AVA and MSD Animal Health coorganised a workshop for local coastal fish farmers. MSD Animal Health is an UK-based private company that offers veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services. During the workshop,

AVA gave coastal fish farmers a broad overview of the regulatory and support programmes that we have put in place to upgrade the aquaculture industry. Farmers were also encouraged to tap on AVA’s Food Fund, diagnostic laboratory services, and field advisory services, to improve productivity and farm capability. In addition, MSD Animal Health touched on the topics of fish health and bio-security.

With the good response received from the turnout of more than 40 farmers, AVA followed up by organising two more workshops in March 2012, which covered topics on the common diseases that affect tropical food fish and the ways to control them. A hands-on training segment was also included to equip farmers with practical knowledge and skills on basic fish disease diagnosis.

To achieve the government's target to raise self-sufficiency in fish to 15 percent, AVA is actively helping local fish farms to raise productivity and capability.

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Novel Fish Product Development and Technology

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During the three-day seminar organised by AVA, fish processors acquired new ideas and technology for product development.

art of the fishes farmed in and imported by Singapore is processed into surimi-based products such as fish balls, fish cakes, imitation crabsticks, and chikuwa.

About two to five tonnes of surimi-based products are manufactured daily by 30 local companies that are mainly small and medium-足sized enterprises (SMEs). In the face of the stiff competition locally and internationally, there is an increasing need for these SMEs to develop new products and differentiate themselves.

Mr Tatsuru Fujiwara explaining the taste profiles of the latest Japanese surimi-based products that the participants tried.

To facilitate agri-trade, AVA has been organising seminars for local fish processing companies to learn about new concepts and technology in producing high quality, safe, and value-added products. On 14-16 February 2012, AVA organised a three-day seminar on novel fish product development and technology. Mr Tatsuru Fujiwara, a Japanese expert with more than 40 years of experience in the development of fishery products, spoke on the current and future trends of surimi-based products and processing methods in Japan and the region. He also recommended the use of novel ingredients that offer greater complexity in taste for product development. Other related topics covered included the technologies for processing sustainable surimibased products, extracting and purifying fish oil, as well as producing capsule food.

AVA officers also introduced the value-adding technology of freeze-drying surimi-based products, and demonstrated that a high quality can be maintained in products that are reconstituted from the freeze-dried state. Participants also visited five major fish processing plants and attended an in-house workshop, where AVA officers provided technical advisory on the ways to optimise surimi processing and enhance product innovation. A total of 42 participants, who were fish processors, importers, exporters, retailers, ingredients suppliers, as well as members from the Food Standards committee and tertiary institutes, benefitted from the seminar.

Mr Tatsuru Fujiwara (third from left) at a major fish processing plant, where he provided technical advisory on the ways to optimise surimi processing and enhance product innovation.

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Corporate Cuts

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New Method to Test for Drug Residues in Food AVA’s Veterinary Public Health Laboratories adopted a new multi-drug method that improves the efficiency and accuracy of test results.

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rugs that promote growth are often added to animal feed, so that the animals can gain weight faster and can be sold earlier as food. As a result of this practice, residues of drugs can remain in the meat, eggs, and milk of such animals. Residues of some permitted drugs such as antibiotics are allowed, if they are within the maximum acceptable limit that does not affect human health when consumed. However, other drugs such as repartitioning agents, which increase leanness of meat, can pose health risks and are thus banned. To safeguard public health, AVA’s stringent laboratory tests ensure that levels of permitted drug residues in food are within safe limits for consumption in Singapore.

AVA’s Veterinary Public Health Laboratories (VPHL) routinely screen food for the presence of permitted and banned drugs, to ensure that the food we eat are safe and wholesome.

Previously, the screening methods used by VPHL could only test for the presence of one drug group at a time, as well as the compounds belonging to it. When a certain drug group is detected with this method, further tests are required to identify the particular drug (or compound) within this group.

To improve the efficiency of such tests, the laboratory has recently developed and adopted a new multi-drug screening method based on a liquid chromatography, used in combination with a tandem mass spectrometer (LC/MS/MS) – an analytical device that can detect different compounds in a mixture. This method can simultaneously screen up to 18 different groups of drugs. In addition, it can identify the compound(s) belonging to the group(s) of drugs that is present in the food.

Veterinary Public Health Laboratories: A World-­class Reference Laboratory

The new method based on liquid chromatography, used in combination with a tandem mass spectrometer (LC/MS/MS), can simultaneously screen up to 18 different groups of drug.

Besides improving its drug residue testing capabilities to increase efficiency, AVA’s VPHL also constantly aligns itself with international standards through accreditation.

In February 2012, VPHL underwent an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation. Eight sections within VPHL, as well as 16 new testing methods were accredited, including methods for multi-drug residues, microbial pathogens, peanut allergen, radionuclide, phthalates and genetically modified cotton, as well as soya and maize products.

New Appointments to the AVA Board

(Manpower), Ministry of Defence; Mr Wong Hin Sun Eugene, Founder and Managing Director, Sirius Venture Capital Pte Ltd; and Mr Felix Soh, Digital Media Editor, Singapore Press Holdings.

hree new members have been appointed to the AVA Board for a three-year term with effect from 1 April 2012. At the same time, four existing members have stepped down and eight members are re-appointed.

The Board is led by its incumbent Chairman, Mr Koh Soo Keong, into the new term.

Also, we thank the four Board members who have stepped down, for their invaluable service, guidance, and contributions during their term of appointment. They are Mr Frankie Chia, Managing Partner, BDO LLP; Dr Lee Tung Jean, Director (Energy Division), Ministry of Trade and Industry; Mr Huang Hong Peng, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Food & Beverage), Fraser & Neave Ltd; and Professor Satkunanantham Kandiah, Director of Medical Services, Ministry of Health.

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AVA welcomes the three new AVA Board members who come from diverse backgrounds. They are Mr Tan Kok Yam, Director

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AVA: A Singapore Quality Class Star Organisation AVA’s efforts in business excellence paid off with the Singapore Quality Class Star certification from SPRING Singapore.

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n January 2012, AVA became the proud recipient of the Singapore Quality Class (SQC) Star, a mark of overall excellence standard. The SQC Star certification from SPRING Singapore gives recognition to organisations that have attained greater heights on the business excellence journey. Our certifications for People Developer and Innovation Class have also been successfully renewed in 2012. These three certifications are part of a business excellence framework of international standards, which helps organisations strengthen their management systems and processes for high performance. With this framework, AVA aims to accelerate its drive towards new and improved management systems and processes so as to achieve its vision of being trusted and respected globally for ensuring safe food, and healthy animals and plants for Singapore.

to our Veterinary Public Health Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Laboratories, Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station, and Sembawang Research Station. The assessors commented that, “It is clearly evident that the organisation has built upon and further enhanced its foundation for its business excellence journey”. The report added that the leadership showed strong support and drive for the excellence journey, and recognised the efforts put in to develop staff capabilities, increase personal involvement and facilitate communication with customers and stakeholders.

Attracting Talents to be Part of Our Journey to Excellence Human resource is a valuable asset to AVA and we are actively reaching out to talents who share our passion in ensuring food supply resilience, food safety, animal and plant health, and facilitating agri-­trade. In the two on-campus recruitment fairs held in the National University of Singapore (2 February 2012) and National Technological University of Singapore (7 February 2012), AVA shared with undergraduates the wide spectrum of work we do in ensuring Singapore’s well-being.

Undergraduates also took the opportunity to learn more about the development and progression tracks they can expect with a career in AVA. In addition to the physical interaction on-campus, we strengthened our visibility in career magazines targeted at graduating students who did not visit these fairs.

Two assessors (right) visited AVA's Veterinary Public Health Laboratories as part of their evaluation of our business processes.

In an integrated assessment conducted in October 2011, four assessors appointed by SPRING Singapore evaluated AVA business processes via interviews with AVA staff, briefings provided by AVA’s leadership team, and visits

Editorial Committee Advisor: Dr Choo Li Nah Editor: Nicole Liang Huimei

Design by: ArtNexus Design Pte Ltd

At a career fair, AVA officers shared with undergraduates the work we do in ensuring Singapore’s well-being.

Members: Diana Koh, Elaine Pong, Foo Siang Ming, Leslie Phua, Dr Lim Chee Wee, Melin Lim, Philemon Siew, Dr Tan Hock Seng, Tan Ling Ling, Tan Min Hwee Contributors: Dr Audrey Chen, Phyllis Hui, Dr Joanna Khoo, Khoo Gek Hoon, Serena Kong, Dr Ch’ng Ai Lee, Malcolm Neo, Joanne Ng, Joelyn Ng, Ong Yi Hang, Joscelin Sun, David Tan, Teo Yen Ling, Cliff Tham, Denise Thong, Yeap Soon Eong, Jeremy Yeung AVA Vision is the corporate publication of the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA). No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without written consent of the AVA.