Prime Supermarket outlet in Hougang has drawn public attention after a netizen alleged that expired food products were still being sold, with expiry dates allegedly covered by price stickers. The allegation surfaced in the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook group on Jan 22 and quickly gained traction online.
According to the post, the issue was spotted on the evening of Jan 21 at the Prime Supermarket outlet located at Hougang Street 11. A marinated meat product was reportedly seen on sale even though its expiry date had already passed on Jan 19. The netizen who raised the issue asked to be identified as Mr Ho.
Price stickers allegedly covering expiry dates
In his post, Mr Ho claimed that price stickers were used to cover the expiry dates of items marked as “reduced to clear”. He wrote: “Prime Supermarket at Hougang St 11 used price stickers to cover the expiry dates and continued selling the products for almost three days after they had expired.”
Photos shared showed a pork belly mixed herbs marinated meat product with a price sticker placed directly over the original expiry label. The sticker appeared to be partially peeled back, revealing the expiry date underneath, which stated Jan 19. Mr Ho said that the photo was taken two days later, on the evening of Jan 21.
More than one product affected
Mr Ho further alleged that the issue was not limited to just one item. He said all three discounted packages on the shelf were pre-packed meat products of the same brand but in different flavours. According to him, all had price stickers covering their expiry dates. However, he did not take photos of the other packages.
He added that this was the first time he had come across such an issue at the supermarket. Mr Ho also urged shoppers to be careful when buying discounted items and to always check expiry dates closely.
Mr Ho said he commented about the incident on Prime Supermarket’s Facebook page on the night of Jan 21. According to him, the supermarket contacted him through private message the next morning, apologising for the inconvenience and stating that an internal check would be conducted.
However, Mr Ho claimed his public comments were later hidden or deleted. “They hid the comments already, so the public won’t be able to see,” he said. He added that he had also tagged the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in his comment but did not receive a response at that time.
In response, Prime Supermarket said that “with respect to markdown items, our priority is to clear all stock prior to expiry and remove items from shelves in accordance with food safety requirements”. The supermarket added that food safety protocols have been reinforced with staff to ensure full compliance.
Meanwhile, SFA confirmed that it conducted an inspection after receiving the feedback. The agency said: “SFA had investigated and did not detect any sale of expired food products at the time of the inspection.”
SFA added that the operator had acknowledged failing to remove some expired items on a previous occasion and has since strengthened its processes. The agency instructed the operator to ensure that no pre-packed food products are sold after their stated expiry dates and that expiry dates must be clearly displayed on packaging. SFA also stated it would not hesitate to take enforcement action if sufficient evidence is obtained.
