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As of 23 Apr 2023, there will be temporary disruptions for Singapore’s supply of freshly slaughtered pork due to the discovery of African Swine Fever (ASF) from a batch of live pigs from Pulau Bulan.
The first discovery of ASF was on 19 Apr 2023 from pig carcasses from an abattoir line in Singapore, with the said pig carcasses being from the import of live pigs from Pulau Bulan, Indonesia.
Panic may be among the masses, as one would assume that the ASF would infect humans. However, that is not the case. ASF is unable to transmit to humans, but are rather contagious to live pigs.
The reason why the imports are ceased is due to ASF’s contagious nature to live pigs. In order to ensure the health of the livestock in Singapore’s pig farms, Singapore Food Agency (SFA) believed it would be safer to cease livestock from Pulau Bulan altogether.
Some folks may be concerned if ASF would be in any of Singapore’s pork produce other than Pulau Bulan. Worry not, as SFA will ensure that all raw pork coming into Singapore will be heat-treated, rendering the ASF virus to be inactive.
Live pigs from Pulau Bulan make up about 15% of Singapore’s total pork supply. However, this is not to say that pork supply is at a severe risk, as Singapore’s supply of pork is well-diversified, coming from over 20 sources all over the world.
SFA has announced that the agency will work to find more sources to obtain frozen and chilled pork, in efforts to maintain source diversification. This would no doubt reduce the impact of disruption in our food supply, as importers can turn to other alternatives quickly and smoothly.
Now, the stopping of live pig import does not seem to have much of an impact. But it would be wise to look towards other forms of meat and have a variety in our diet. Being adaptable is a great trait, is it not?
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