Horrified to find cockroach in porridge from Tampines outlet, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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Horrified to find cockroach in porridge from Tampines outlet

This article is more than 12 months old

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is investigating after a customer reported finding a cockroach in porridge from a Tampines food stall.

Facebook user Kieron Goh wrote a post about the incident, saying it occurred on Sunday (Jan 23), around 11am.

He said he had purchased the porridge from Sin Heng Kee Porridge at its Block 477 Tampines Street 43 outlet for his mother and himself, as he does every weekend.

But he was "shocked and disappointed" to discover a cockroach in his meal while stirring it.

The post included a photo of the insect in the food.

"Luckily I had to stir the porridge because I added a few extra ingredients of my own (chilli padi, fish skin, egg whites etc). If not, it could have easily ended up in my mouth without noticing at all," it said.

"I immediately went out of my room to check with my mom if she (had) encountered the same horror too. Fortunately there wasn't, but I told her not to eat it because most likely it came out from the same main pot."

The user said he subsequently returned to the stall to show them the cockroach.

"I am still a fan of this porridge, in fact I think it's one of the best in SG easily. But definitely not buying anymore from the Tampines branch again. Still supporting the Hougang branch and hope this message will be a meaningful one to all. Thanks."

He also alleged that the stall removed his feedback from their Facebook page.

The post has garnered some 400 shares and over 100 comments, including a response from someone at the Tampines stall.

The person apologised and said the stall would do better, but also told Kieron Goh to "please be fair to us before you comment".

There was an explanation of how the porridge was cooked and how the kitchen was cleaned. The long process involves a lot of stirring, at the end separately for each portion. Regular cleaning and spraying also made it unlikely that such creatures would grow in the kitchen. It was also pointed out that the cockroach looked large and still "intact".

Meanwhile, Sin Heng Kee Porridge said it was aware of the incident and had contacted the person-in-charge.

The company distanced itself from the outlet, which it said was not affiliated with its Yishun and Hougang branches.

"They have not gone through any form of training from us whatsoever. They simply are using our name because they are related to our ancestors,” Sin Heng Kee Porridge said.

"I repeat, we are not the same company so eat there without comparing with us as like I said, they have never been through any of our training."

In response to a query from Stomp, SFA said it had received feedback and was investigating the matter.

"Food safety is a joint responsibility. While SFA puts in place and enforces the regulatory measures, food operators must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices,” the agency said.

"Members of the public who come across any potentially errant food operator should report to SFA via the online feedback form. As part of the enquiry and gathering of evidence, SFA may engage the feedback provider for more details.

It added: "SFA will not hesitate to take enforcement action against errant food handlers if we have obtained sufficient evidence."

cockroachSFA/SINGAPORE FOOD AGENCYFood Hygiene