Scarlett Supermarket takes ‘corrective action’ after insect crawling on buns gives Stomper ‘the ick’
A frequent shopper at Scarlett Supermarket was bugged by the sight of an insect crawling over packs of buns, causing her to leave the store with a lost appetite and an empty stomach.
Stomper W, who shops at Scarlett Supermarket at least three times a month, told Stomp she was at its Paya Lebar Square outlet on March 17 when she saw the insect.
She had been planning to get her dinner from the supermarket when she noticed the “pest” crawling over some packs of buns that were sitting by the hot food section at around 4.40pm.
In a video shared with Stomp, a dark insect with two long feelers crawls across sealed packets of traditional mantous, or steamed buns. Two staff members can be seen in the background, though both do not appear to notice the insect.
Claiming to be the only person to notice the insect, W alleged: “I pointed out to the staff mending the store on the spot, she merely removed the packet and put it aside.
“Honestly, this gave me the ick.”
W said she had planned to get dinner from the supermarket, but promptly lost her appetite and left empty-handed.
“It just feels off, especially for a place handling food,” lamented the Stomper, who has not returned to the supermarket since the incident.
As a frequent shopper, W said she was disappointed by the “pest activity”.
According to its website, Scarlett Supermarket opened its first outlet on Trengganu Street in October 2020. The supermarket chain now has at least 40 outlets islandwide and its Paya Lebar Square outlet opened in May 2025.
Corrective actions taken: Scarlett Supermarket
In response to a Stomp query, a representative from Scarlett Supermarket Singapore said on March 20 that the company regrets the Stomper’s unpleasant experience. The company added that it takes cleanliness and food safety matters very seriously.
“Following this feedback, we have immediately escalated the matter to the outlet team for a thorough inspection and corrective actions have been taken,” said Scarlett Supermarket.
“We are also working closely with our pest control partner to strengthen preventive measures and ensure our hygiene standards are consistently maintained.”
Stomp has reached out to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for comment.
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