SFA eases requirements for some restaurants to allow pets in outdoor dining areas

SINGAPORE: Restaurants looking to allow pets in their outdoor dining areas will no longer need to seek additional approval from Jan 1, 2025, if they are not serving pet food. 

Announcing this on Monday (Dec 2), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said the move is part of its regular review of food safety regulations. 

"SFA has assessed that the risk of food safety and zoonotic transmission with the presence of pets at outdoor refreshment areas is low and that the prevailing food safety requirements that apply to retail food businesses are sufficient to mitigate the risk," the agency said in a media release.

Outdoor refreshment areas refer to food premises that are not enclosed, even if they are under shelter. They must also be accessible without needing to go through the food premises.

Currently, all retail food businesses must convert their licence to a pet cafe licence to allow customers to bring pets along for dine-in.

There are about 120 such establishments, said SFA, and about 40 food businesses are expected to benefit from the eased regulations every year.

Restaurants that intend to serve pet food and food for human consumption will continue to require a pet cafe licence from SFA.

Restaurants that allow pets in their outdoor dining areas without serving pet food must observe guidelines such as providing an adequate number of clear signages to inform customers, so that they can make a choice on whether to dine in these areas.

Pets are still not allowed at hawker centres and their outdoor refreshment areas.

"This is in consideration that hawker centres are communal spaces, unlike outdoor refreshment areas of privately managed food businesses," said SFA.