10 October 2025 marked a significant milestone in the local edible bird’s nest (EBN) scene in Singapore, as over fifty industry leaders, scientists, regulators, and innovators gathered for the official launch of SS 718:2025 – Non-destructive Authentication of Edible Bird’s Nest Using Near-infrared Spectroscopy, the nation’s first standard dedicated to EBN authentication.
This event, organised by the Centre of Regulatory Excellence – Standards Development Organisation (CoRE-SDO), was held at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI) — a fitting venue symbolising collaboration between Singapore’s business, innovation, and research communities. The event provided an engaging platform for dialogue, partnership, and celebration of this milestone in Singapore’s EBN industry.
Setting the Stage for Innovation
The afternoon opened with a warm welcome from Dr Yong Chern Chet, Chair of the Biomedical and Health Standards Committee (BHSC), who officially launched the standard. In his address, Dr Yong highlighted the importance of SS 718 in promoting authenticity and transparency in the EBN trade, noting how the standard leverages near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as a practical and reliable tool for ensuring product integrity and consumer trust.
Science and Standards in Action
Dr Henry Leung, Senior Lecturer & Senior Specialist at Nanyang Polytechnic and Convenor of the Working Group behind SS 718, introduced the motivation behind developing this new standard. He explained the limitations of current authentication methods and demonstrated how NIR spectroscopy offers a faster, non-destructive, and scientifically validated solution for the EBN industry.
Building on this, Dr Subramaniam Gurusamy, also Senior Lecturer & Senior Specialist at Nanyang Polytechnic, delved deeper into the Science Behind EBN Authentication Using NIR Spectroscopy. His presentation included a detailed explanation on the technical aspects of the standard, including a live demonstration of the NIR authentication process using a hand-held spectrometer, showing how the technology can be seamlessly applied in real-world scenarios.
Following that, Dr Clement Ng, Principal Consultant at TCMandYou, shared insights on the relevance of EBN in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Modern Wellness. As the Chair of the Technical Committee on Complementary Medicine & Health Products, he also emphasised the role of standardisation in strengthening Singapore’s reputation as a neutral and trusted hub for quality assurance in traditional health products.
From Technology to Application
After a short networking break, the event transitioned to highlight innovation and quality in practice.
Mr Alan Lai, Founder and CEO of ProfilePrint, a Singapore-based agrifood tech firm pioneering AI-powered food fingerprinting, demonstrated how his team successfully integrated the SS 718 test method into ProfilePrint’s AI models. Through a live demo, he showcased how the fusion of AI and methods such as NIR spectroscopy can enhance food authentication accuracy, speed, and scalability — setting new benchmarks for digital quality assurance.
Ms Cheang Siew Chan, QC/QA Manager at Weng Li, Eu Yan Sang International Ltd, concluded the presentations with an engaging session on Quality Assessment and Control of Raw EBN and its Processed Products. Drawing on her extensive experience in quality management systems and regulatory compliance, she shared case studies on using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to detect adulterants in EBN. As FTIR and NIR are based on similar principles, her work illustrated the broader advantages of spectroscopy-based methods in ensuring EBN authenticity and safety.
Interactive Panel and Engaging Discussions
The audience’s enthusiasm was evident during the Q&A and panel discussion sessions, where numerous questions flowed in on topics such as the use of AI tools for food authentication, advantages of NIR spectroscopy over other analytical methods, and strategies to promote the adoption of SS 718 across the industry. There were also discussions about expanding the influence of SS 718 internationally, particularly in markets like China and Hong Kong, where EBN demand is high.
A Milestone in Trust and Transparency
Developed through close collaboration between the Singapore Standards Council under Enterprise Singapore and the Duke-NUS Centre of Regulatory Excellence – Standards Development Organisation (CoRE-SDO), with contributions from government agencies, industry experts, and research institutions, SS 718 builds upon research involving Nanyang Polytechnic’s Standard Operating Procedure for the EBN authentication, which has previously demonstrated the efficacy of NIR spectroscopy in food authentication and safety.
Professor John Lim, Executive Director of CoRE at Duke-NUS said, “This standard is more than a technical advance. It shows how Singapore can lead with science-based, practical solutions that safeguard consumers while giving the industry a competitive edge. By providing a fast and non-destructive way to authenticate edible bird’s nest, we are helping producers to minimise wastage and build trust in their brands, as well as giving consumers the confidence to make informed choices.”
Ms Choy Sauw Kook, Director-General (Quality and Excellence) at Enterprise Singapore, shared that “SS 718 underscores the vital role that standards play in ensuring quality assurance and driving business growth. Consumers can leverage this standard as an important tool to make informed choices about the products they select, while edible bird’s nest providers can use it to build credibility and trust in their brand. We remain committed to continue working closely with industry experts and stakeholders to develop new and relevant guidelines that enhance trust and safety, especially in the areas of health and food safety.”
About SS 718:2025
This standard establishes a test method for the rapid, non-destructive and on-site authentication of EBN using Near-infrared Spectroscopy. This test method involves a hand-held NIR spectrometer. This method does not address the determination of the country or geographical origin of edible bird’s nests.
SS 718 can be purchased from the Singapore Standards e-shop.