Corporation Drive economy rice stall sorry for 'misunderstanding' over raw meat left exposed in kitchen
Raw chicken and fish were seen thawing in uncovered buckets at a coffee shop at Block 140 Corporation Drive.
Stomper Melz shared photos and a video from the kitchen area of the Corporation Drive Economic Rice stall, located in Tastebud Eating House.
One image depicts a pail of raw fish sitting exposed on a counter near the back door of the kitchen, near an open bin.
A video shows a bucket of raw chicken placed under a rusty sink, with a broom leaning on the rim of the bucket.
In response to a Stomp query, a spokesman from Corporation Drive Economical Rice said: "We thank Stomp and the concerned members of the public for bringing this matter to our attention.
"We take food hygiene and safety extremely seriously and we have investigated the incident captured in the videos/photos.
"Our stall adheres strictly to the Singapore Food Agency's (SFA) regulations, and we have always prioritised cleanliness and safe food handling practices."
The spokesman clarified that the area depicted is the stall's wet kitchen area, adding: "The captured photos shown were just moments after our staff opened those boxes containing the frozen food items.
"All these frozen food items need to be defrosted, and it was unfortunate that the sight of them doing the soaking and defrosting (only for 15 to 30 minutes) had to be caught on camera.
"Moving forward, we will ask them to cover the pail up instead of leaving it in the open while doing defrosting.
"So sorry for the misunderstanding and we will be more mindful so that such scenes will not be caught on camera in future."
Following Melz's feedback, the stall will take immediate steps to review its standard operating procedures with all staff and conduct internal refresher training on hygiene protocols.
"We deeply regret any distress or concern this may have caused our customers," the spokesman added.
"Please rest assured that we are committed to upholding the highest food safety standards and we appreciate the public's continued support and feedback."
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