SFA Miscommunication Gave Jian Bo Impression That Sorbic Acid Was Permitted In Kueh Products
On Wednesday (27 Jul), long-time fans of Jian Bo Tiong Bahru Shui Kueh would’ve been shocked to learn that they were suspended by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), along with eight other kueh manufacturers.
However, this suspension was revoked one day later. SFA also said that there had been a miscommunication with Jian Bo.
Source: Google Maps
The SFA will thus review their internal procedures to ensure better communication.
How did this incident arise? Read on to find out.
9 kueh manufacturers initially suspended
In a media release on 27 Jul, SFA announced the suspension of nine kueh manufacturers, saying they had detected high levels of benzoic acid/sorbic in their products.
SFA Suspends 9 Kueh Manufacturers After Detecting High Levels Of Benzoic Acid, Recall Ongoing
One of these manufacturers was Tiong Bahru Tian Bo Shui Kueh, known widely as Jian Bo.
Three of their products were also named as having these food additives: chwee kueh, nine-layer kueh and tapioca kueh.
Source: Google Maps
Jian Bo sends products for lab tests
That same day, Jian Bo posted on Facebook emphatically denying that their products contained the said preservatives.
Source: Jian Bo Tiong Bahru Shui Kueh on Facebook
To prove this, they sent their products for laboratory testing and the results were negative.
They then sent these results to SFA to seek clarification.
The company lamented that the suspension had affected their business, tarnished their reputation and shaken customers’ confidence in them.
Jian Bo’s suspension revoked a day later
Just a day later on Thursday (28 Jul), Jian Bo happily informed customers on Facebook that the SFA had revoked their earlier direction.
That means Jian Bo is now free to resume the production, distribution and sale of the three products.
Source: Jian Bo Tiong Bahru Shui Kueh on Facebook
They also shared the entire letter from SFA telling them the good news.
Source: Jian Bo Tiong Bahru Shui Kueh on Facebook
In the letter, SFA confirmed that the three products concerned do not contain sorbic acid.
SFA reveals miscommunication over ingredients
Three months before all this happened, Jian Bo contacted SFA on 12 Apr, the agency told Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
The company wanted to know whether sorbic acid was allowed in their food.
SFA’s reply, however, was incorrect, the agency said. They had said that sorbic acid is allowed in kueh products, up to the maximum permissible limits of 1,000ppm.
SFA now clarifies that actually, sorbic acid is permitted in kueh filling only, but not kueh.
According to the Singapore Food Regulations, if sorbic acid is used in filling, it cannot exceed 1,000ppm.
SFA finds sorbic acid in products
SFA inspected Jian Bo’s premises seven days after this miscommunication, on 19 Apr.
They took samples of their chwee kueh, nine-layer kueh and tapioca kueh for lab testing.
Two of these products, the nine-layer kueh and tapioca kueh, had levels of sorbic acid above 1,000ppm, SFA told CNA.
Source: Jian Bo Tiong Bahru Shui Kueh on Facebook
SFA thus took action, suspending Jian Bo’s production, distribution and sale of the affected products.
On 20 Apr, SFA informed Jian Bo of the correct legal requirements regarding sorbic acid, they said.
However, after Jian Bo showed them test results conducted by a third-party accredited lab, SFA confirmed that their current products do not have sorbic acid.
Thus, they revoked the suspension order.
SFA regrets miscommunication
SFA has also said that they “regret the miscommunication” with Jian Bo.
This had given the company “the wrong impression” that sorbic acid was allowed in the production of their kueh products.
Moving forward, SFA will review their internal procedures to ensure full and accurate communication of food safety requirements to manufacturers.
Source: Google Maps
Jian Bo director says business was affected
Though Jian Bo was suspended for only one day, it affected the company greatly, reported TODAY Online.
Jian Bo’s director Eric Ang told the news website that most of their outlets had to be shut down on Wednesday (27 Jul).
Also, their clients started to question their products would resume using them only with a clarification from SFA.
Thus, Mr Ang felt that the incident had tarnished the reputation of 64-year-old homegrown brand.
Source: Google Maps
Estimating the financial impact to be considerable, he is nevertheless not thinking of seeking compensation from SFA.
Important to avoid miscommunication over rules
It’s essential for food manufacturers to follow regulations strictly, for the safety of Singapore consumers.
However, it’s also important that these rules are communicated properly to them.
Thankfully, the miscommunication between SFA and Jian Bo was resolved quickly.
If there’s anything positive about this incident, it’s that SFA’s review will hopefully bring some improvement in how info is conveyed to all stakeholders.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Google Maps.
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