As Chinese New Year looms closer, the prices of good ol’ Chinese pork jerky goes up. Normally, folks would do the logical thing and head up north across the borders to get their hands on some good yet cheap bak kwa and purchase them in the truckloads — but looks like it won’t be that easy.
The Immigrations & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has put out ta statement that travellers are only allowed to bring in a maximum 5kg or 5 litres worth of processed food products. Also, their collective value cannot exceed $100 per person.
Even so, the meat products have to come from a tight list of approved countries, and we don’t see Malaysia on it. So no bak kwa from our neighbour up north then; it’s literally illegal.
Bak kwa’s not the only product though — other items such as eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, or any other food products are limited. For processed food products, travellers will have to declare them to the authorities long as they’re over ICA’s limit.
For more details of food and food products allowed to be brought into the country, the AVA site has a comprehensive guide.
