Pets in Singapore and their parents are about to have it easier when it comes to hanging out in outdoor dining areas.
From 1 January 2025, retail food businesses in Singapore can allow pets in Outdoor Refreshment Areas (ORAs) without requiring additional approval from the country’s food agency, provided they are not serving pet food.
ORAs are refreshment areas outside the main structure of buildings or the food premises that are not enclosed, even if 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 café licence to allow their customers to bring pets along for dine-in. This applies to food businesses that: intend to serve pet food; and/or do not serve any pet food and would like to allow customers to bring their pets along when dining at the ORAs.
This change reflects the Singapore Food Agency’s regular review of food safety regulations. The current review aims to balance food safety requirements with business flexibility. There are about 120 such food businesses as of end-2024, and about 40 food businesses are expected to benefit from this move every year, the agency said.
“SFA has assessed that the risk of food safety and zoonotic transmission with the presence of pets at ORAs is low and that the prevailing food safety requirements that apply to retail food businesses are sufficient to mitigate the risk,” the agency stated. “Nonetheless, retail food businesses should adopt good food safety practices to ensure food safety and a conducive environment for all patrons.”
Retail food businesses that plan to serve pet food in addition to serving food for humans will continue to require a pet café licence from SFA.
image: Ananthu: https://www.pexels.com/photo/golden-retriever-at-sidewalk-cafe-15175097/
The SFA added that to ensure food safety and a conducive environment for customers, food operators can provide an adequate number of clear signages at ORAs to notify patrons that pets are allowed only within the ORAs. This enables the patrons to make an informed choice when deciding to dine at the ORAs, considering their personal preferences and/or medical conditions (e.g. allergies).
Food operators can also provide an adequate number of clear signages at ORAs directing patrons to the nearest handwash basin, so that patrons can wash their hands after interacting with pets and before consuming food. They can also provide an adequate number of hand sanitisers at ORAs to allow patrons to sanitise their hands after interacting with pets and before consuming food. This is to provide further safeguards against any spread of zoonotic diseases.
For halal-certified premises, pet dogs will continue to not be permitted, including at ORAs.
Pets will still not be allowed at hawker centres and their ORAs island-wide. This is in consideration that hawker centres are communal spaces, unlike ORAs of privately-managed food businesses. Hawker centres refer to open-air complexes that house many stalls that sell a variety of food.
“This is in consideration that hawker centres are communal spaces, unlike ORAs of privately-managed food businesses,” the agency stated.
The agency also clarified that food business operators are not allowed to exhibit their own pets within the food premises without obtaining prior approval from NParks (National Parks Board). Doing so would contravene the Animals and Birds Act.