Alcoholic food products to be exempted from liquor restrictions on sale and consumption

All food products containing alcohol – except beverages – will be exempted from the Liquor Control A…

All food products containing alcohol – except beverages – will be exempted from the Liquor Control Act from Friday (Jan 18), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced.

With the change, food products such as rum and raisin ice-cream can be sold and consumed after 10.30pm in public places.
“MHA and the police will monitor the ground situation, and periodically review and update the legislation as required,” the ministry said in the press release on Thursday.

The move comes following feedback from the public and industry that certain products containing alcohol need not be regulated under the Liquor Control Act, as consumers were unlikely to abuse them, MHA said.

The Act, which came into force in April 2015, prohibits the sale of liquor at retail outlets and consumption of liquor in public places between 10.30pm and 7am daily.

The Act defines liquor as products containing more than 0.5 per cent alcohol.

Liquor can still be consumed within licensed premises such as restaurants, coffee shops or bars, in accordance with the hours stipulated in their licences.

The control of the sale and consumption of alcohol followed an incident in December 2013, which saw hundreds of foreign workers confront anti-riot forces after a worker was run over by a bus.

There are stricter rules for Geylang and Little India, which are designated Liquor Control Zones. Retailers there cannot sell alcohol from 7pm on Saturday to 7am on Monday.