The Singapore food agency said it had received confirmation from the fisheries department in Malaysia on the matter and was working with importers to verify the source of their mussel imports and ensure that they are not imported from the area.

The agency said it had not detected any biotoxins in seafood imports, including mussels, in the past few weeks but will continue to monitor the situation, including the monitoring of water quality in farming areas.

“Singapore imports mussels from various countries and regions, such as China, Malaysia, Japan and Vietnam. The industry is able to obtain their supply from different sources,” it said in a statement, in reply to media queries.

On Thursday, fisheries department deputy director-general (management) Wan Aznan Abdullah said water samples and mussels in the Port Dickson waters were contaminated with biotoxins as well as harmful Prorocentrum, Alexandrium and Pseudo-nitzschia algae species but added that these did not affect other marine life.

Water samples were also taken in the waters off Melaka and Johor, and they were found to be safe and there was no proliferation of the algae.

Earlier, the Negeri Sembilan fisheries department was reported to have taken samples of mussels and water in the waters of Port Dickson following an alleged case of food poisoning due to the seafood.

This followed the state health department reporting eight cases of food poisoning related to the consumption of mussels with two cases admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), five at regular wards, while one person was given outpatient treatment.