HSA Contaminant Limits

Written by the Neoi - Health Supplements Singapore editorial team - Last updated: 2 August 2026

HSA contaminant limits set published ceilings for selected heavy metals and microbes in Singapore health supplements, plus two contaminants in oral liquids. They are compliance references, not proof that a bottle meets them. This educational guide does not assess a specific product.

Treat the limits as compliance ceilings

HSA's current regulatory overview says dealers and sellers are responsible for ensuring that health supplements conform with applicable safety and quality standards. Its January 2026 Health Supplements Guidelines state that products must not exceed the listed heavy-metal, microbial, diethylene-glycol and ethylene-glycol limits.

A public limit and a product-specific result are different records. The limit states the required outcome; a result describes what a laboratory found in a named product and batch. A label photo or “lab tested” statement does not supply the batch number, substance tested, numerical result, detection limit or responsible person needed for comparison.

Compare the published limits

Original element 1, captured on 2 August 2026: this map transcribes the current HSA regulatory overview and Health Supplements Guidelines into one reading table.

Test group HSA-published limit Important scope note
Arsenic 5 parts per million (ppm) Quantity by weight
Cadmium 0.3 ppm Quantity by weight
Lead 10 ppm Quantity by weight
Mercury 0.5 ppm Quantity by weight
Total aerobic microbial count Not more than 10^5 CFU per g or ml The published exception note may affect certain probiotics or fermentation-derived products
Yeast and mould count Not more than 5 x 10^2 CFU per g or ml The same exception note may apply
E. coli, salmonellae and S. aureus Absent Finished-product result should identify what was tested
Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol 1000 ppm each These limits apply to oral liquid preparations

Do not compare unlike units or product scopes. “Below detection” is also incomplete unless the report states the detection limit, because a reader otherwise cannot tell what concentration the method could identify.

Match the evidence to the batch

HSA's testing requirements say heavy metals, microbiological parameters, poisons and adulterants should be tested on finished products. The same guide says oral-liquid diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol testing may be performed on starting material or finished product, as feasible.

The March 2026 safety and quality Q&A says recommended tests should be conducted for every batch release because results are batch specific and reflected in the batch Certificate of Analysis. A different-batch, ingredient-only or unidentified report cannot establish the result for the pack in front of you.

For a consumer, the practical limit is simple: you can check whether evidence is traceable, but you cannot verify laboratory work from packaging alone. If a seller provides a report, compare its product name and batch number with the actual pack before reading the result column.

Use a six-field test-report check

Original element 2, captured on 2 August 2026: HSA's testing guide lists six minimum test-report fields. Use them as a record check, not as an authenticity certificate or personal-suitability assessment.

  1. Report date: confirm when the document was issued and keep the complete page set.
  2. Product identity: match the brand name, where applicable, and product name to the pack without silently accepting abbreviations.
  3. Batch number: require an exact match with the bottle, box or sachet lot marking.
  4. Substances tested: identify each heavy metal, microbe or relevant liquid contaminant actually covered.
  5. Results: retain the quantitative result and unit; when a result is “not detected,” record the stated limit of detection.
  6. Responsible person: check that the report names and carries the signature of the analyst or other responsible person.

This checklist does not determine whether a laboratory is accredited or whether every necessary parameter was selected. The HSA guide says testing should preferably be performed by accredited laboratories and describes conditions for an in-house laboratory, including validated or recognised methods and an independent GMP plant audit.

Know the gaps and exceptions

The published microbial-count exception matters: the general total aerobic, yeast and mould limits may not apply to certain probiotics or fermentation-derived products. Do not remove the exception or invent a replacement threshold. The dealer, testing laboratory and applicable current guidance must resolve the correct specification.

Testing does not answer every buying question. A conforming result for listed contaminants does not prove efficacy, authenticity, correct storage or personal suitability; a missing public report does not prove failure. Keep the conclusion narrow: the record either can or cannot be matched to the product, batch, parameter, result, unit and HSA reference.

FAQ

Are these limits printed on every supplement label? No. HSA's label-information list includes items such as active ingredients, batch number, expiry date, manufacturer country and local importer or product-owner details. A laboratory result is a separate record.

Does “not detected” always mean the result is below the HSA limit? Check the limit of detection. HSA's testing guide says a test report using “not detected” or “ND” should state that limit.

Can one Certificate of Analysis cover every batch? Do not assume so. HSA's Q&A describes recommended test results as batch specific and says they should be reflected in the batch Certificate of Analysis.

Do the general microbial counts apply unchanged to probiotics? Not necessarily. HSA's guidelines note that the total aerobic, yeast and mould limits may not apply to certain probiotics or fermentation-derived products.

This article is general educational information about HSA contaminant limits and test records in Singapore. It is not medical advice, legal advice, laboratory interpretation or a product safety decision. Official requirements can change; check the current HSA sources and seek qualified advice for health concerns.

Related reading on this site: Regulatory landscape - Label-reading context - HSA alert checks - Report a supplement

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