Woman shocked to find dirty brushes with insects at Wok Hey, SFA investigating
Warning: You might lose your appetite.
That was what happened to a Stomper after she spotted insects crawling on dirty-looking brushes at Wok Hey's Compass One outlet on Monday morning (Apr 17).
Stomper Anonymous noticed this and took a video at around 7.15am, before the store's opening hours.
At least three winged insects can be seen crawling on an unkempt and worn-looking brush in the video.
Anonymous, who subsequently reported the matter to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), told Stomp: "These are the brushes that are used to wash the woks after every batch of fried rice is cooked.
"It makes my hairs stand on end. No more Wok Hey for me. My kids really love Wok Hey too but I guess they will stop eating it after watching this video.
"I hope Stomp can share this so that the relevant parties can take action against them."
In response to a Stomp query, SFA said it is investigating the matter.
It added: "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.
"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. SFA will not hesitate to take enforcement action against errant food handlers if we have obtained sufficient evidence."
A Wok Hey spokesman told Stomp on Thursday (Apr 20): "We take all hygiene matters at our outlets very seriously. As such, we are on contracts with professional cleaning companies to deep clean and sanitize our stores after operations daily.
"At 7.15am when the video was taken, the outlet was still not in operation and insects may have been attracted to our open premises.
"Rest assured that as a part of our daily operating procedures, our team will clean the apparatus before usage.
"We appreciate you bringing our attention to this potential issue, and we will strive to improve our processes to prevent future occurrences."
To this, the Stomper replied: "I am surprised by Wok Hey's bad response.
"It's the staff's responsibility to keep the brushes clean and not filled with rice grains. If the grains are trapped after every wash, it's understandable but at the end of the day, it means the cooks can't even be bothered to ensure the brushes are clean before leaving it out to dry.
"With that kind of lapse in hygiene attitude, we can imagine how they handle ingredients every day. And I wonder how often they change the brushes."
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