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A rat was recently seen eating an ear of corn left on the shelf outdoors at the Giant supermarket outlet in Hougang.

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While the incident did not alarm everyone who saw the video and even prompted responses that the rat looked cute, Giant said it is taking action to mitigate the risks of such incidents happening again.

DFI Retail Group, which oversees Giant, said in a statement to the media on July 19 that the Hougang store has undergone a high-level disinfection and they are engaging Ang Mo Kio town council to deal with the external rodent issue.

The store will also step up routine inspections of the store.

The full statement read:

We are aware of the ongoing rodent issue in the Hougang area, which has resulted in this incident taking place outside our store. As a responsible food retailer and member of the community, we have notified the Ang Mo Kio Town Council of the ongoing rodent issue in the area and are keen to work collaboratively together to mitigate the issue.

The health and safety of our customers remains a top priority at Giant and we continue to be vigilant in our own checks, as well as taking all possible measures to avoid incidents of this nature in the future. We have also been proactive in contacting the Ang Mo Kio Town Council in recent months to highlight the ongoing rodent issue and look forward to their support and partnership in helping to eradicate it.

We have, and have always had, a robust housekeeping programme in place to ensure that food is stored correctly, however, following this isolated incident we have decided to move some of our vegetable displays indoors with team members also stepping up inspections of our storefronts.

With health and safety being a top priority for us at Giant, we conduct regular intensive rodent treatment programmes to address the external issue in the Hougang area. Following this incident, customers can be reassured that the store has undergone a high-level disinfection, and we have stepped up routine inspections to uphold our own strict health and safety standards. We strongly feel that this is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately and are keen to work together with the Ang Mo Kio Town Council and other residents to mitigate this issue together.

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