SINGAPORE - A targeted operation by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) found 19 food establishments operating without valid licences, and the operators are facing fines for running afoul of regulations, the regulatory body said on Friday.

It punished 14 of the operators, with the other five to face similar disciplinary action of fines not exceeding $20,000 or a jail term of up to three months, or both.

They were hauled up after targeted checks on 391 food establishments whose licences had expired.

The 19 operators were found to have remained operating without a licence.

The 391 outlets included restaurants, caterers, stalls in foodcourts and coffee shops, as well as supermarkets.

All food establishments must have appropriate operating licences and renew them when they expire to continue running, SFA said, adding that at least three renewal reminders are sent – two months, four weeks and two weeks before the licence expires.

The licence should be displayed at a food outlet’s premises in the form of a QR code that the authorities or members of the public can scan to check its validity.

Anyone who finds invalid licences that may display a “record not found” message when the QR code is scanned may report them to SFA via sfa.gov.sg/feedback

Food outlet operators may pay licence fees via Giro to facilitate automatic renewals, SFA said. Licensees should also ensure that the e-mail address registered in GoBusiness for their licence is updated.

Licences for food establishments are required to ensure that operators adhere to food safety requirements, the agency said, with regular checks conducted to ensure compliance.