Genetically Modified Food Labelling

Singapore permits the sale of genetically modified (GM) food only after it has been assessed as safe. Developers seeking to use GM food in Singapore submit safety information for assessment by the Genetic Modification Advisory Committee (GMAC) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), using principles set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (SFA, Labelling Requirements for Genetically Modified Food, last updated 14 March 2025, accessed 30 August 2026).

Is GM labelling mandatory

Food products sold in Singapore, including GM foods, must meet the general Food Regulations labelling requirements. However, a product may be voluntarily labelled “GM” or “non-GM” if the information is factual and not misleading to consumers. SFA's current guidance says the Codex Alimentarius Commission does not require GM food or food containing GM ingredients to be specifically labelled (SFA, Labelling Requirements for Genetically Modified Food, last updated 14 March 2025, accessed 30 August 2026).

SFA also records that there is no international consensus on mandatory GM labelling or on a threshold level of genetic material that would trigger a label. There is therefore no threshold supplied by this guidance as a universal Singapore trigger. Singapore's voluntary-labelling position should not be converted into a universal percentage threshold or a claim that every product containing GM ingredients must carry a special GM declaration (SFA, Labelling Requirements for Genetically Modified Food, last updated 14 March 2025, accessed 30 August 2026).

How to interpret the boundary

Voluntary GM wording does not replace the ordinary requirements for prepacked food, including accurate product descriptions, ingredients and other applicable declarations. Conversely, the absence of a GM-specific label does not by itself show that a food is unauthorised: safety assessment, general labelling compliance and any product-specific rules are separate questions (SFA, Labelling Requirements for Food, accessed 30 August 2026).

GM-food safety assessment and labelling should also not be collapsed into Singapore's novel-food pre-market approval framework. A business must identify the applicable regulatory pathway for the product and check current SFA guidance; the GM labelling page is not a blanket approval list or a substitute for a product-specific assessment.