Singapore authorities are investigating an alleged illegal raw meat-selling operation after a group was repeatedly seen cutting, weighing and allegedly selling pork at the void deck of an HDB block in Sengkang.
The activity was reported at Block 107 Rivervale Walk, where a resident said he had seen the group gathering on Saturday mornings on at least three occasions. The most recent sighting was on Aug. 29, when several people were reportedly gathered around a table with large pieces of raw meat, a weighing scale and a cleaver.
The resident, identified as Jamiro, said frozen pork appeared to be the main product. Videos he recorded showed a man cutting slabs of meat on a table and on the ground.
When questioned about what they were doing, one person was heard saying they were not selling the meat but “splitting” it. Another man who was not part of the group allegedly told the resident that one of the people had bought the meat wholesale and was cutting it up for resale.
The incident raised concerns about food safety because the meat was allegedly being handled in an open public area rather than an approved food premises.
The Singapore Food Agency said its officers had conducted checks at the block on several occasions following feedback about suspected illegal hawking. However, no food-selling activity was observed during those checks.
SFA said it is continuing its investigation and will monitor the location. The agency added that enforcement action would be taken if illegal hawking is established.
Under Singapore’s Environmental Public Health Act, selling food products in public spaces without a valid SFA licence is not permitted. SFA says unregulated food hawking can create public-health risks because the food may not meet required safety standards and sellers may be difficult to trace if consumers encounter problems.
The rules are particularly relevant for raw meat. SFA’s licensing framework lists standalone butcher shops selling raw meat among businesses that require a Food Shop Licence, reflecting the additional controls applied to higher-risk food products.
As of Sept. 21, the resident said he had not seen the group return to the location since the start of September.
SFA has advised members of the public not to patronise suspected illegal food hawkers and to report such activities through its feedback channels.
For now, the alleged sales remain under investigation, and authorities have not confirmed that the individuals seen in the videos were selling meat illegally.
