How to start a meal prep business in Singapore

SFA licenses food businesses according to what they do. An online seller that only resells food bought from a local distributor, with no handling or cooking and no physical store, does not need a licence. A business that also runs premises where food is handled, cooked or processed must apply for a food shop licence from SFA before it starts operating. A meal-prep company that cooks and packs meals is in the second group.

Caterers are listed by SFA under food shops. The Food Shop Licence costs $195 and is valid for 1 year. You apply through the GoBusiness portal with Singpass or Corppass, and you must submit a layout plan to scale showing the kitchen equipment and infrastructure such as exhausts, sinks and wash basins. SFA reviews a complete application within 7 working days; after the pre-licensing inspection you should receive a payment notification within 7 working days and must pay within 28 days or the application lapses. Documents such as the tenancy agreement and cleaning programme must be submitted within 2 months of applying.

Larger operations may fall under SFA's manufacturing licences instead. A Licence to Operate a Food Processing Establishment in the other processed food category has an application fee of $147.20 and a licence fee of $180 below 200 square metres, $360 from 200 to 750 square metres and $600 above 750 square metres, valid for 1 year. SFA reviews these within 30 working days, inspects the premises physically before issuing the licence, and expects premises in a food zone or an area with compatible industrial uses. Ask SFA which licence fits your kitchen before you sign a lease.

SFA says home-based food businesses currently do not require an SFA licence to operate, but they must comply with the prevailing food laws and regulations, and SFA recommends they take the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1.

The limits are the important part for meal prep. SFA does not allow home-based food businesses to offer food catering services, and it says food catering includes buffet lines and packed meals. Home-based businesses also may not sell to food establishments licensed by SFA, may not sell ready-to-eat raw seafood such as sashimi or oysters, and may not source ingredients from other home-based businesses. They may promote themselves online but may not display advertisements or signs at their home.

A home-based business that is implicated in a food safety incident may be directed to stop operating immediately. If your plan is a weekly menu of packed meals for delivery, read SFA's rules on catering closely and ask SFA whether your model needs a licensed kitchen before you start.

SFA defines a food handler as anyone who handles and prepares food and beverages in food establishments licensed by SFA. Every food handler needs a valid WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 certification, and licensees must register their food handlers with SFA before or when they apply for a licence.

The first retraining is due within 5 years of first passing the Level 1 course, and each later retraining within 10 years of passing the previous one. SFA's manufacturing licences also require all food handlers to hold a valid Level 1 certification.

Delivery riders are treated differently. SFA says food delivery workers are not required to attend the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1, because they are not directly involved in handling or preparing food.

SFA says all prepacked food for sale in Singapore must be labelled under the general labelling requirements of the Food Regulations, and that this applies to retailers and packers as well as manufacturers and importers. The mandatory information must be in English: the name or description of the food; a statement of ingredients, including those known to cause hypersensitivity; the net quantity; the name and address of the local business responsible; the country of origin; and, with effect from 30 January 2026, lot identification and directions for use.

The ingredients that must be declared include cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish and molluscs, peanuts and soybeans, milk and milk products including lactose, and tree nuts, together with their products. Sticker labels in English are acceptable if they stay firmly attached and do not cover other required information.

Since 2 May 2024, nutrition labelling and nutrition and health claims have been regulated by the Ministry of Health and the Health Promotion Board rather than SFA. SFA's guide to food labelling sets out the full requirements, including which foods need a date mark — check it against your own products.

SFA's first step for food establishments is to register the business with ACRA and get a UEN. ACRA lists four structures: a sole proprietorship or a partnership, where owners have unlimited liability, and a limited liability partnership or a company, where they have limited liability. A sole proprietorship or partnership is registered on Bizfile after the business name is reserved, for $100 for one year or $160 for three years. Foreigners without Singpass must use a corporate service provider. To use your home address under the Home Office Scheme, HDB residents need HDB's approval and private property residents need URA's.

The GST rate is 9%. You must register for GST if your taxable turnover was more than $1 million at the end of the calendar year, or if you expect it to be more than $1 million in the next 12 months. Under the calendar-year test you apply between 1 and 30 January and are registered from 1 March; under the 12-month forecast you apply within 30 days of the forecast date. Ask an accountant how your own sales are treated.

SFA says food delivery businesses must make sure the way food is delivered does not compromise food safety, and that hot or cold chains should be maintained for the duration of the delivery. Singapore Standard SS 672:2021 covers the delivery of ready-to-eat food; SFA says it is not mandatory. For online sales, SFA also points to SS 687, a voluntary standard for the information shown at the point of sale and delivery.

Singapore is hot and humid all year, so chilled meals need insulated boxes, cold packs, short rounds and a delivery window customers can plan around. This guide could not confirm a specific chilled-food temperature limit from an SFA page, so ask SFA what it expects for your kitchen and your delivery round.

Price each meal from what it actually costs: ingredients at the prices you pay, packaging and labels, kitchen time, delivery and card fees. Weekly plans with a fixed cut-off tell you exactly what to buy and cook before you spend anything.

Software such as Mealforma runs orders, subscriptions, kitchen production, labels and delivery routes on one system, for a flat monthly price and never a cut of your sales. It does not apply for your SFA licence, register you for GST or replace SFA's advice.