By Serene Luo

SINGAPORE'S food safety watchdog plans to start testing pet food and livestock feed for melamine, the potentially harmful chemical behind several recent food recalls across Asia.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said the tests would begin in the coming months, once scientists had finished examining 1,200 samples of China-made food and drink meant for humans.

'Now that we know there is a problem with milk and milk products, it is wise to continue scanning the horizon,' said an AVA spokesman.