If your food business has been caught by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for a hygiene lapse, every offence adds demerit points to the licence. Under SFA’s Points Demerit System, a minor offence carries 0 points, a major offence 4 points and a serious offence 6 points. A restaurant, food shop or stall that reaches 12 points within 12 months has its licence suspended for 2 weeks; a second round of 12 points within 12 months of that brings a 4-week suspension, and a third round means the licence is revoked. Since 19 January 2026, a suspension also drops the outlet straight to grade ‘C’ under SFA’s SAFE grading framework.
Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms who offer cost-effective and efficient legal service and advice. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.
Two serious offences put you at the edge. Two serious offences already make 12 points. If you have just paid a composition sum, count the points still live on the licence and fix the cause now. The next inspection, not the next renewal, decides whether the outlet closes for two weeks and drops to grade ‘C’.
How the points work
SFA’s page on the Points Demerit System applies it to SFA-licensed retail food businesses: stalls in coffee shops, canteens, food courts and hawker centres, food shops such as restaurants, takeaways and caterers, and the main operators of coffee shops, canteens and food courts.
| Severity | SFA’s examples | Demerit points | Composition sum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor | Altering the layout of the premises without approval; failing to keep the premises in good repair | 0 | S$200 |
| Major | Failing to keep the premises, chillers or appliances clean | 4 | S$300 |
| Serious | Having an unregistered assistant; pest infestation | 6 | S$400 |
SFA may offer composition instead of prosecution, and the sum must be paid by the due date. Separately, toilet cleanliness and maintenance lapses can attract composition sums of up to S$500. Points are dated to when the offence was committed, not when the composition is paid or the court convicts, so a delayed payment does not move the points into a later 12-month window.
What happens at 12 points
| Accumulated points | Restaurants, food shops and stalls | Main operators of coffee shops, food courts and canteens |
|---|---|---|
| 12 within 12 months | 2-week suspension | 1-day suspension |
| 12 within 12 months after the 1st suspension | 4-week suspension | 2-day suspension |
| 12 within 12 months after the 2nd suspension | Licence revoked | 3-day suspension |
When a licence is suspended, SFA requires the food handlers to re-attend and pass the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1, and the Food Hygiene Officer to re-attend and pass Level 3. If a main operator is suspended, every stall inside the premises must close for the suspension period as well.
The SAFE grade: a suspension now shows on the licence
Under SFA’s SAFE framework, which replaced the old annual A to D grading on 19 January 2026, grades depend on the outlet’s food safety track record. A “major lapse” is a licence suspension under the Points Demerit System or a court conviction for a food safety offence. A major lapse downgrades the outlet to grade ‘C’ immediately, whatever its current grade, and the track record restarts from the day after the lapse. Outlets with poorer records are inspected more often. Customers can see the grade by scanning the QR code on the SFA licence.
SFA has said there is no change to the Points Demerit System itself. What has changed is that a suspension is now visible to every customer who checks the licence, and it takes years of clean operation to rebuild the grade.
What to do after an inspection finds a lapse
- Read the notice or composition offer. Identify the offence, its severity and the date it was committed.
- Count the live points. Add up the points from offences committed in the past 12 months. Keep your own register; do not rely on memory.
- Decide promptly whether to pay or dispute. If the facts are wrong, raise it before the payment deadline. If they are right, pay on time. See what a composition offer means.
- Fix the cause, not just the symptom. Pest control contracts, cleaning schedules, chiller temperature logs, and registration of every food handler before they start work.
- Train and supervise. Make sure the Food Hygiene Officer is actually on the floor and that new hires are registered and trained.
- If a suspension is coming, plan for it: staff, rent, supplier orders and what you will tell customers and landlords.
Example
Example only, not a client case. A restaurant company is caught in March for a dirty chiller (major, 4 points) and in June for an unregistered kitchen assistant (serious, 6 points). With 10 points live, the directors put in a weekly hygiene audit, register every new hire before the first shift, and appoint a second trained supervisor for the evening shift. In September an inspection finds the premises in poor repair, a minor offence with 0 points. The outlet stays at 10 points and avoids suspension. Without the changes, one more major offence would have brought it to 14 points and a 2-week closure.
Frequently asked questions
Do the points follow the company or the outlet?
The system applies to each SFA licence, and SAFE grades are tied to the licensed establishment. SFA says a change of licensee, location or business UEN generally needs a new licence, which resets the SAFE grade to ‘NEW’. Changing the operating company to escape a record is not a safe strategy. See when a restaurant changes its operating company.
Can I avoid the points by going to court instead of paying?
Points are attached to the offence. Contest an offer only if you genuinely dispute the facts; a conviction is itself a major lapse under SAFE.
Where can I see the rest of the compliance picture for an F&B company?
See the compliance guide for F&B companies and the business operations hub.
Running a food business with SFA problems?
If your food business has received SFA composition offers or is close to a suspension, contact the Raffles Corporate Services team at [email protected] or on WhatsApp at +65 8501 7133. We will help you keep a register of offences and points, sort out the company’s licensing and corporate records, and handle the accounting and payroll so management can focus on the kitchen. Where a matter goes to court, we can refer you to an adviser from one of our associated law firms. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Tiffany Goh, Raffles Corporate Services