Woman in S'pore says she bit into cockroach in Mr Bean drink, store responds

Not a pearl.

Khine Zin Htet | March 19, 2024, 05:48 PM

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A woman in Singapore was sipping on a Mr Bean drink when she encountered an unexpected crunch.

She spat out whatever it was, only to realise with horror that it was a cockroach.

Photo from Pamster Tan/Facebook

Started drinking it at 12pm

The woman, who goes by the username Pamster Tan, took to Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Mar. 18 to spill the beans on her discovery.

Her colleague had purchased the drink from Mr Bean's Queenstown MRT outlet, she said.

Screenshot via Facebook

She recounted that she had started drinking the beverage at 12pm on the same day and continued to do so "later in the day".

That was when she made the unsettling discovery.

"Now I am feeling sick [at] the thought [of] what bacteria I have been intaking since 12pm," she wrote.

Possibility of cockroach entering the drink after opening

At least one netizen questioned whether the woman had left the drink unattended at any point in the day.

Screenshot via Facebook

The comment appeared to have been deleted as of Mar. 19.

Another netizen advised Tan to report the incident to the Singapore Food Agency, to which Tan replied that she had already done so.

Screenshot via Facebook

Mothership reached out to Tan on Mar. 18 to ask whether she had left the drink unattended, and for how long she was consuming the drink, but she did not reply as of the time of publication.

Mr Bean's response

Mr Bean left a comment under Tan's post on Mar. 18.

Screenshot via Facebook

They apologised for the "unfortunate incident" and said that her feedback would help them conduct internal investigations.

They also requested that Tan get in touch with them to facilitate further investigation.

"Once again, we are sorry for this unhappy experience, and we look forward to your reply. Thank you," the store wrote.

Mr Bean’s assistant brand director Venus Ang told The Straits Times that the company has contacted the woman to ensure that she is fine.

They will also discuss with her on helping with her recovery process, ST reported.

Mr Bean has also done manual checks at the store to ensure there is no cockroach infestation, Ang said, adding that it has activated pest control to check on the premises and that no cockroaches were found.

Singapore Food Agency looking into incident

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is also looking into the incident, ST reported.

SFA said that it takes a serious view on food safety and will investigate all feedback alleging poor food safety practices.

Food operators must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices, and ensure their premises are clean and well-maintained, they added.

“SFA may engage the feedback provider for more details and will not hesitate to take enforcement action if sufficient evidence has been obtained.”

Top photo from Pamster Tan/Facebook