A customer discovered maggots in her claypot rice at Senja Hawker Center.
FairPrice Group called this an isolated incident and has improved cleaning procedures at the food center.
Customer’s Discovery
Lynn told STOMP she was eating at Senja Hawker Center around 7 PM on the 12th of last month.
After finishing her meal from Ah Di Claypot, she noticed worms moving on the table as she prepared to return her tray.
“I think these maggots were originally hiding under the aluminum foil at the bottom of the claypot. They fell out when I picked up the pot. There were definitely no maggots on the tray before,” she said.
The video she provided shows many maggots moving on the hawker center table, with some crawling onto the tray.
Lynn reported the issue to a stall employee, but the staff member only said she would tell her assistant and didn’t come to inspect.
“I also told the cleaner, who asked me to leave everything there and said someone would clean it up later.”
Official Response and Action
Senja Hawker Center is run by Kopitiam, part of the FairPrice Group.
A FairPrice Group spokesperson told Shin Min Daily News that Kopitiam’s main focus has always been offering customers a safe and clean dining environment.
To stop such incidents from happening again, the group has tightened inspection of all stalls to enforce hygiene standards.
They have also upgraded the cleaning and disinfection process throughout the food center.
“For this incident involving an individual stall, we immediately conducted a thorough inspection and contacted the affected customer. The stall in question has received a warning.”
A Singapore Food Agency (SFA) spokesperson told Shin Min Daily News that inspectors found no pest problems at the stall.
However, they did find other food safety violations and will take enforcement action against the stall.
“We have ordered the food operator to keep their premises clean and hygienic, and have required food handlers to strictly follow safe operating procedures.”
The SFA stated they have zero tolerance for food safety issues and will investigate all related complaints thoroughly.
During investigations, the SFA may contact complainants for more information. When enough evidence is collected, they will take immediate action.
