Diner finds plastic in mala from Food Republic stall: SFA detects safety lapses, taking action
A man and his son were excited to try out a newly opened food court at Raffles City, only to find a piece of plastic in their food.
The pair visited The Food Place by Food Republic for dinner on July 7 and ordered mala xiangguo for $20.55.
Stomper Jeremy recounted: "We were eating halfway when my son saw a big plastic in the food.
"We informed the manager on duty, who said the plastic could have come from the crab stick. The plastic was still on the crab stick when we were choosing our ingredients. The manager said maybe the staff had forgotten to take the plastic off."
Jeremy did not continue with his meal and was given a refund as requested. He alleged that the manager "didn't even talk to the staff in the kitchen."
The Stomper added: "We were still disgusted when we left the food court, so I wrote an email to Food Republic, but they did not reply me. I also reported the incident to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA)."
In response to a Stomp query, SFA said it had inspected the food establishment and detected food safety lapses.
The agency told Stomp on Aug 5: "Enforcement actions will be taken against the food operator. They were also reminded to ensure that all food sold must be wholesome, free of foreign matter and safe for consumption.
"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.
SFA said it takes a serious view towards food safety and will investigate all feedback alleging poor food safety practices.
As part of the enquiry and gathering of evidence, SFA may engage the feedback provider for more details and will not hesitate to take enforcement action if sufficient evidence has been obtained.
Food Republic did not respond to Stomp's queries by press time.
