SFA investigating ‘foul smelling, worm-infested’ onion from Pandamart, Foodpanda says incident is ‘isolated’
A customer was shocked to find live worms inside an onion ordered from Pandamart, prompting the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to investigate.
Stomper UK ordered a 700g pack of BrightFarms China Red Onions from Pandamart in Yio Chu Kang on July 10.
When he opened the plastic bag at home, he was taken aback by a strong foul smell.
“At first, I thought it had just gone bad, but as I was about to take pictures to send to Pandamart, I noticed that it was actually infested with worms,” said the Stomper.
He shared photos and videos of the onion with Stomp. In the video, at least one white worm can be seen wriggling on the onion.
Pandamart refunded the affected item, but the Stomper said he believed the incident raised concerns about the quality of fresh produce sold through online grocery platforms.
“We frequently buy from Pandamart but this is the first time getting such an experience,” UK said.
“I stopped buying groceries online after this incident too.”
The Stomper also lodged a report with the SFA.
Investigations underway: SFA and Foodpanda
In response to queries from Stomp on July 16, the SFA said it is looking into the matter.
“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,” said the agency.
SFA added that food safety is a joint responsibility and that food operators must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices, as well as ensuring that their premises are clean and well-maintained.
Also responding on July 16, a Foodpanda representative said the company takes food quality and safety seriously.
“Upon receiving the customer’s feedback, we promptly issued a refund and conducted a thorough review with the relevant teams,” said the representative.
Based on its investigation, the incident appeared to be isolated and involved an affected onion.
“As the signs were not externally visible, the issue could not be detected during our routine quality assurance checks,” said the representative.
The company added that the affected store was inspected by the SFA and its pest control partner, with no evidence of pest activity found.
It has also raised the matter with its supplier and is working with them to review the source of the issue.
“We will continue to review and strengthen our quality assurance processes, while working closely with our suppliers to ensure items are in good condition before orders are fulfilled and that customers receive products that meet our quality standards,” said Foodpanda.
Based on email correspondence seen by Stomp, SFA informed the Stomper on July 17 that the Pandamart store in question “maintains proper receiving, preparation and packing protocols, as well as regular pest control measures”.
“No food safety lapses were observed, and the overall cleanliness was satisfactory,” the email added.
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