Woman swaps strawberries at Bedok Mall FairPrice with bare hands, slammed for being unhygienic
A woman was allegedly seen swapping strawberries with her bare hands at the FairPrice Finest outlet in Bedok Mall, sparking hygiene concerns from netizens.
An 18-second video uploaded by anonymous Facebook user Gleeful_Joy shows an elderly woman, donning a yellow cap and white tank top, holding an open box of strawberries and swapping pieces of fruit. Beside her is a younger woman in a blue tee, holding another open box of strawberries.
At the start of the video, the older woman picks out a strawberry from her companion's box, takes a close look at it, and puts it back in place.
She then inspects another berry in her palm and tries to put it into the box she is holding. As the strawberry did not fit, she places it in her companion's box.
The video ends as the woman closes the box in her hands and steps towards the chiller, presumably to return it to the shelf.
According to the caption, the incident occurred at about 5.30pm on March 11, at the FairPrice Finest outlet in Bedok Mall.
Slammed for lack of hygiene
The video sparked hygiene concerns, with many netizens criticising the woman for being unhygienic.
"These people come from where? I think from jungle," one netizen said. "They touch the fruit without washing their hand, so unhygienic."
Some users defended the woman's actions, saying customers can be picky as they are paying for the product.
"They have a choice to pick fresh strawberries because they are paying for it. The method of selling at the supermarket is 'force buying', packed in boxes and not allowed to choose?" a Facebook user said.
Another accused supermarkets of hiding poor-quality fruits inside packaging, advising customers to check the fruits in-store to avoid disappointment when they get home.
Other netizens said it was common to see such behaviour, and urged supermarket operators to take action.
Opening packaged produce is 'strictly prohibited'
In response to Stomp's queries, a FairPrice Group spokesperson said the company is investigating the incident.
The representative took the opportunity to remind customers that opening packaged produce is "strictly prohibited" at FairPrice outlets. Customers may approach staff if they require assistance.
Stomp understands that clear signage is displayed at the outlet, warning customers not to handle the produce.
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