Eatery offers customer vouchers for 'harmless garden insect' in salad, SFA looking into case
A customer who was upset over finding a dead insect in her salad got further incensed by the eatery's response to her feedback.
Stomper D said she picked up her food from The Daily Cut at One Raffles Place on June 4, at around 1pm. The order was made via Deliveroo.
She recounted: "I had selected the lettuce mix as one of the bases in my regular-sized bowl and brought the bowl back to my office for lunch.
"I was around halfway through my meal and had already finished most of the lettuce when I dug to the bottom to finish the remaining lettuce at around 1.30pm.
"There, on a large piece of raw lettuce, was a large bug which resembled a cockroach. I was immediately repulsed as it was so disgusting and I have literally never seen such a large insect in my food before.
"Furthermore, this is a reputable establishment in a mall, not some street food kiosk."
To report the incident, D took photos of her meal and sent them to Deliveroo, The Daily Cut and The Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
She told Stomp: "Deliveroo gave me a refund.
"The Daily Cut took more than three hours to respond and offered me vouchers – not really in good taste considering I doubt I'd dare to consume their food again anytime soon.
"I was worried as I usually have quite a weak stomach and after consuming the bowl, I had diarrhoea once. It subsided on its own, so I did not seek medical attention separately.
"Nonetheless, this is an extremely shocking and disgusting incident that shows food handlers really need to be more careful about hygiene and foreign objects in food, especially raw vegetables that are not cooked and already naturally pose higher risks of contamination and food-borne pathogens.
"The restaurant claimed in its response that it was a harmless garden insect, but how can I be sure of this?"
In response to a Stomp query, The Daily Cut shared screenshots of its conversation with D on Instagram.
D had first messaged The Daily Cut at 1.35pm and received a reply at 4.36pm.
A spokesperson for The Daily Cut said: "We are truly sorry to hear about D's experience with The Daily Cut. We understand her frustration and regret that she had to go through this.
"As indicated by the screenshots, we responded to her as quickly as possible and have maintained ongoing communication to address her concerns.
"We take all food-related issues very seriously and immediately investigated this incident.
"The insect in question is an earwig, which can sometimes be found in vegetables. Despite our rigorous preparation processes, occasional garden insects may slip through.
"We sincerely apologise for this oversight and are committed to being even more vigilant moving forward."
"Our foremost priority was D’s well-being. We ensured she was alright and promptly offered to cover her medical expenses. Additionally, we provided her with clear instructions on how to receive a full refund to make amends."
SFA told Stomp it is looking into 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.
"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 also 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.
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