On 11 June 2022, local restaurant chain Tung Lok catered food for an event at CHIJMES.
Source: CHIJMES on Facebook, for illustration purposes only
When the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) received a complaint about gastroenteritis — also known as stomach flu — from the event, it performed an inspection of Tung Lok’s Tai Seng kitchen.
There, they found the bacteria E. coli inside a sample of salad that was being made.
As a result, Tung Lok Millennium, a subsidiary of Tung Lok Restaurants, was fined S$3,000 for preparing contaminated food.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), SFA inspectors visited Tung Lok’s cold kitchen at 26 Tai Seng Street following the gastroenteritis complaint.
They watched employees prepare ready-to-eat salad before taking a sample of the dish to be analysed.
Source: Chris Tweten on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only
E. coli, a bacteria that can cause food poisoning, was detected in the sample.
The World Health Organization states that some E. coli strains can lead to abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever, and vomiting.
In court, the SFA prosecutor brought up Tung Lok’s “poor compliance history”, seeking a fine of S$3,000 for the offence.
Tung Lok Millenium was previously suspended after 190 people fell sick from eating its catered food at a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) exhibition in November 2018.
A representative of the company argued that they had obtained the ready-to-eat salad from a supplier, who also “has the duty or responsibility to ensure this food is safe and suitable for consumption”.
Still, Tung Lok admitted to the offence, noting it is also responsible.
As such, the representative pleaded guilty to one count of preparing unsafe food and Tung Lok was fined S$3,000.
Another charge of failing to maintain an overhead air-conditioning unit in its Tai Seng kitchen was also taken into consideration for sentencing.
While the prosecutor clarified that the charge had no direct relation to the CHIJMES gastroenteritis complaint, the inspection had happened because of it.
Additionally, the salad that was served at the event was similar to the one that was found to be contaminated.
However, the two salads cannot be linked.
Also read: SFA Recalls Fragrance & Joymom’s Mooncakes After Detecting High Levels Of Toxins & Bacteria Inside
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Featured image adapted from Puwasit Inyavileart from 89Stocker on Canva and Africa images on Canva, for illustration purposes only.
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