Cockroach crawls outside eatery at The Woodleigh Mall, SFA finds no food safety lapses
A cockroach spotted crawling along the exterior of an eatery at The Woodleigh Mall left a customer feeling “disgusted” and worried about the meal he had just ordered.
However, subsequent checks found no signs of cockroach harbourage at the outlet, while the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) found its housekeeping satisfactory with no food safety lapses.
Stomper Ash was waiting for his order from the stir-fry stall at around 4pm on July 18 when he noticed the insect.
“I only saw the cockroach after my food was ordered,” he told Stomp.
He shared a video showing the cockroach crawling along the exterior of the stall, near its signboards and glass facade.
Ash said he did not see the cockroach enter the stall or go near the food preparation area.
“I waited for about 10 minutes. I did not see the cockroach inside the store specifically, just crawling along the side of the store,” he said.
“Honestly I feel disgusted and was very afraid.”
When asked, Ash said he chose not to alert staff at the time because he did not want to be identified. Instead, he later lodged a report via the OneService app.
“I shared this with Stomp as I want to raise awareness so that the relevant agency can follow up with hygiene checks,” the Stomper said.
Ash also pointed to a Google review claiming that a cockroach had been spotted at the same outlet several months earlier.
SFA finds no food safety lapses
In response to Stomp’s queries, SFA said it was looking into the feedback.
According to the eatery, the agency subsequently inspected the outlet and found its housekeeping satisfactory, with no food safety lapses identified.
SFA said that as part of its enquiries and evidence gathering, it may contact the feedback provider for more information and will not hesitate to take enforcement action if there is sufficient evidence.
The agency reiterated that 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. Food operators should also ensure their premises are clean and well-maintained.
Members of the public who have concerns about food safety practices by food operators should report to SFA via the online feedback form.
Food stall: No sign of cockroach harbourage, preventative deep cleaning done
A spokesperson from the eatery told Stomp on Aug 5 that it has looked into the matter fully and engaged its licensed pest control vendor.
Its investigations found no sign of cockroach harbourage in the outlet’s internal or external area. Nevertheless, the store has carried out deep cleaning as a further precaution.
“As our outlet sits in a shared open-concept mall setting, we have additionally coordinated preventive cleaning with neighbouring tenants and raised pest control in the common areas with mall management,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson also stressed that the cockroach in the video was sighted outside its outlet and that there was nothing found in the food.
The company said it conducts regular pest control with a licensed vendor across all its outlets, adding that food safety and hygiene remain its top priority.
Mall: Regular pest control treatments conducted throughout property
A spokesperson from The Woodleigh Mall told Stomp on Aug 7 that maintaining a clean and hygienic environment is a priority for the mall.
“We have guidelines in place for tenants on proper housekeeping and pest management, and regular scheduled pest control treatments are carried out throughout the property,” the spokesperson said.
Stomp understands that there are currently vacant units within the mall, while some units are undergoing renovation works.
Stomp also spoke to two businesses operating on the same floor as the stir-fry outlet.
A pasta kiosk said it had “no issues” and had not received any reports of pest sightings from staff or customers.
Another business, which sells cheesecakes, told Stomp on Aug 12 that it was “rare” to see pests outside its shop, but understands other shops have regular pest control treatments.
The business said The Woodleigh Mall had also scheduled a pest control treatment for that same night.
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