Pig’s blood is back on the menu. But is Singapore hungry for it?

In 1999, pig's blood was removed from the menu of Koh Brother Pig's Organ Soup stall in Tiong Bahru Market, Singapore. This 50-year-old stall had been serving a clear Teochew-style broth with pork blood as its main ingredient. The decision came after the Nipah virus outbreak, caused by infected pigs imported from Malaysia, led to a severe public health crisis.

Singapore banned all imports of live pigs at the end of April 1999, and the stall, owned by Thomas Koh's family, was forced to close for three months to revise its recipe. Pig's blood was replaced with meatballs, stomach, and pig's heart, which proved to be less popular among customers. The return of pig's blood to the menu comes after a 2018 risk assessment and new safety requirements for collecting and processing blood for food purposes.

In April 2026, Singapore Food Agency approved the import of heat-treated pork blood from Thailand's Bangkhla Pig Slaughterhouse, the first since the new rules were introduced. The product, manufactured under controlled industrial conditions, is now sold in supermarkets, hawker stalls, and popular hotpot chains like Haidilao. However, it remains uncertain if Singaporeans will embrace this return to tradition.