[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/strong-public-support-for-good-samaritan-food-donation-law-in-singapore\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/strong-public-support-for-good-samaritan-food-donation-law-in-singapore\/","headline":"Strong public support for Good Samaritan Food Donation Law in Singapore","name":"Strong public support for Good Samaritan Food Donation Law in Singapore","description":"Here is an ethical conundrum for you: A restaurant donates its excess food to needy beneficiaries who had gone without at least three meals a day. But one of the beneficiaries ended up with food poisoning.\u00a0 Does the restaurant deserve to be sued?\u00a0 Before you answer \u201cyes\u201d, remember that Singapore generates about 700,000 to 800,000 […]","datePublished":"2021-11-26","dateModified":"2022-06-29","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/rachel-teng\/#Person","name":"Rachel Teng","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/rachel-teng\/","identifier":367,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rachel_Teng-100x100.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rachel_Teng-100x100.jpg","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1637935698428_S3_Feature_-_1280_X_626_px_V3_3.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1637935698428_S3_Feature_-_1280_X_626_px_V3_3.jpeg","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/strong-public-support-for-good-samaritan-food-donation-law-in-singapore\/","commentCount":"1","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/strong-public-support-for-good-samaritan-food-donation-law-in-singapore\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2026-05-02 01:19:18","description":"Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"binance anm\"alan","url":"https:\/\/accounts.binance.com\/register\/person?ref=L4EUT9FG"}}],"about":["Community","Environment","Food","Local","Singapore"],"wordCount":1145,"keywords":["committee","food","food bank","food donation","food from the heart","food waste","good samaritan","law","legislation","liabilities","louis ng","NGO","Singapore"],"articleBody":"Here is an ethical conundrum for you: A restaurant donates its excess food to needy beneficiaries who had gone without at least three meals a day. But one of the beneficiaries ended up with food poisoning.\u00a0Does the restaurant deserve to be sued?\u00a0Before you answer \u201cyes\u201d, remember that Singapore generates about 700,000 to 800,000 tons of food waste every year. Food security remains one of the most pressing issues the nation faces today.\u00a0If you answered \u201cno\u201d, you would be among the 81 percent of the public who are in support of a Good Samaritan Food Donation law to be passed in Singapore, according to an online public consultation carried out by the Good Samaritan Legislation Review Committee (GSLRC).\u00a0Led by Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC Louis Ng, the committee was set up in September 2020 to work towards passing a Private Member\u2019s Bill which would help waive liability for food donors while ensuring high levels of food safety.\u00a0The GSLRC comprises big and small players from the food industry, including representatives from NTUC Fairprice, Breadtalk, DBS Bank, Ya Kun International, The Fullerton Hotels, The Food Bank Singapore, as well as grassroots leaders and Members of Parliament Poh Li San, Hany Soh, and Edward Chia.\u00a0\u201cAs a restaurateur, we will be happy to donate excess food in good faith to beneficiaries for their redistribution to those in need. However, most of the time, we are faced with fears about liability from all angles,\u201d says Mr Dellen Soh, CEO of the Minor Food Group Singapore and a member of the committee.\u00a0\u201cThis Bill, if passed, will benefit residents who may not be able to afford their meals, the environment with lesser food waste, and the society through greater efforts of caring for each other,\u201d adds Mr Wong Jin Feng, a grassroots leader at Nee Soon East and a member of the committee.\u00a0A separate series of closed-door stakeholder consultations were carried out by the committee from October 2020 to February 2021, including restaurants, hotels, social enterprises, food producers, distributors, wholesalers, logistics providers, supermarkets, food merchants, bakeries, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).\u00a0The open public consultations were carried out to gauge public support for such a piece of legislation and the responses were strongly positive.\u00a0Over 330 were received, of which more than 317 were from members of the public, well distributed across all age groups and walks of life.\u00a0Key findings1. Whether Food Charitable Organisations (FCOs) should be accreditedExactly half the respondents in the survey agreed that FCOs handling food donations, such as Food From the Heart or The Food Bank Singapore, should be accredited.\u00a0\u201cThese respondents thought that accreditation would boost the credibility of FCOs and increase public acceptance or receptiveness to donated food,\u201d says lawyer Charmaine Yap during a virtual press conference held on 24 November.\u00a0Twenty per cent disagreed, while 3 per cent were neutral, sharing concerns about the additional compliance burden that any accreditation will impose on FCOs.\u00a0\u201cTo minimise compliance burdens, respondents shared that the costs of these accreditations should be kept low,\u201d adds Ms Yap. 2. Food donors and logistics providers should be exempted from civil and criminal liabilitiesMore than 4 in 5 (80 per cent) respondents agreed that donors to FCOs should be legally exempt, if the donor has compiled with food safety and hygiene laws, has not been dishonest, and the food was safe for consumption at the point of donation.\u00a0While respondents were supportive, most wanted stringent regulations in place so that a minimum standard of basic assurance that can be provided to ensure food safety.\u00a0\u201cThere were some concerns that merely ensuring that food donated is in good condition only at the point of donation is not enough, because some time will be needed for the food to be transported to the recipients,\u201d says Ms Yap.\u00a0Fresh fruits and vegetables thrown out at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre are collected by volunteers from Food Rescue Sengkang to be redistributed, putting discarded food to good use. (Photo courtesy of Judith Tan)\u201cRespondents felt that it was very important for donors to be transparent about how food is handled, as well as the condition of the donated food,\u201d she adds.\u00a0Mr Ng shares that unlike regular liability waivers which can only waive civil liabilities, the Bill will have the power to exempt food donors from both criminal and civil liabilities. This encourages hoteliers and restaurants to come forward with large amounts of excess food that are wasted regularly.\u00a0Similarly, 76 per cent of respondents agreed that logistic providers of these FCOs should be exempt from the same liabilities.\u00a0\u201cSome of the risks here surround delivery timings, the \u2018safe for consumption\u2019 timeframe, spillage or contamination during transport, and potential tampering of food from bad actors,\u201d says Ms Yap.\u00a0Similar to Section 41A of the newly revised Animal and Birds Act, the committee will look into introducing quotes that food donors will have to read out each time, before liabilities are waived. 3. Incentives and support to be given to food donors and FCOsMore than 4 in 5 (81 per cent) respondents agreed that grants, assets, and tax exemptions should be provided, in order to encourage donors or FCOs to purchase assets.\u00a0These assets include blast chillers or refrigerated trucks, which were brought up by donors and FCOs themselves during closed-door consultations.\u00a0While grants for food digesters currently exist, Mr Ng finds this to only be half the solution. \u201cMost of this food is still edible, but we\u2019re turning it into fertiliser and water. Why don\u2019t we use it to provide for people who need it instead?\u201d he asks.\u00a0Additionally, tax exemptions were a suggestion put forward by hoteliers, who voiced that it would be very helpful in convincing senior management to donate food, according to Mr Ng.In response to concerns of possible abuse of grants or tax exemptions, the committee is looking to ensure these policies are accompanied by regular audits.\u00a0Japanese buffet restaurant at Suntec City. Mr Dellen Soh noted that combating food wastage is a tough battle and more widespread food donation would be a win-win for all. (Photo source: Choo Yut Shing \/ Flickr)Bill drafting process not to be rushed\u00a0Mr Ng estimates that the Bill will be tabled in Parliament \u201ctentatively in 2022\u201d, and he emphasises that having no fixed timeframe is crucial to ensuring that all concerns raised by the public and stakeholders are properly addressed.\u00a0\u201cThis is not the end of the consultation process. Members of the public will have more opportunities to share their views and propose amendments after the Bill has been drafted,\u201d says Ms Yap.\u00a0\u201cIf more concerns are thrown up again, then I think it\u2019s good for the committee to go back to the drawing board to make sure we can address these concerns before I table this in Parliament,\u201d adds Mr Ng.\u00a0Join the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Strong public support for Good Samaritan Food Donation Law in Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/strong-public-support-for-good-samaritan-food-donation-law-in-singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]