Woman finds 'plastic' bits after eating durian dessert at Clementi Mall, seeks S$16,000 in compensation

A woman in Singapore was enjoying her shaved ice dessert when she apparently bit into something unexpectedly hard.

Thinking it was just a piece of ice, she swallowed it.

Moments later, she encountered another hard object.

This time, she spat it out and discovered that it was apparently a fragment that looked like plastic.

More fragments found

The incident occurred around 8pm on Jun. 11 at Mei Heong Yuen Dessert in Clementi Mall, according to Shin Min Daily News.

The woman, surnamed Lin, told Shin Min that she and her friends had ordered a durian-flavoured shaved ice dessert that evening.

While eating it, she initially assumed the hard fragment she bit into was a shard of ice and swallowed it.

However, when it happened again, she became suspicious and spat it out — only to find fragments resembling plastic.

“I spat it out and found it was plastic, but I had already swallowed some and didn’t know what harm it could cause,” she said.

Lin claimed she later found more fragments in the dessert and the durian sauce.

Store denies fault

Lin reported the incident to the staff, who was unable to contact the manager and seemed unsure how to handle the situation.

She also requested that they inspect the remaining ingredients.

According to Lin, staff found seven or eight more fragments.

She later contacted a person in charge at the main branch, who insisted it was “impossible” for plastic fragments to be in their product.

They reportedly offered to either replace the dessert or issue a refund.

“The person in charge said the staff would follow up but emphasised that it couldn’t be the store’s fault and blamed the supplier instead,” Lin said.

Store responds

Zhu, the manager of Mei Heong Yuen Dessert, told Shin Min that the case was an isolated incident.

She expressed surprise at the presence of foreign matter and claimed that after checking all the store’s ingredients, no issues were found.

Demanded S$16,000 compensation

Zhu also stated that Lin’s party demanded S$16,000 in damages, which the company considered unreasonable.

She pointed out that the company took the matter seriously and was willing to take responsibility and bear the medical expenses, but the other party's request was too "outrageous".

"They did not provide any medical reports, but each diner wanted S$8,000, a total of S$16,000," she said.

Concerned about ingesting foreign matter

When questioned about the compensation, Lin admitted that it was true, saying that the store took the initiative to ask them to make a compensation request.

While Lin said she is fine for now, she is concerned about the aftermath of ingesting plastic.

"If surgery or gastroscopy is required, it is not a small amount," she explained, adding the store had proposed to settle privately first and refused to do so after hearing the amount.

Food safety

Zhu also emphasised that food safety is the top priority, and the matter will be investigated.

A spokesman for the Singapore Food Agency told Shin Min that food safety is a joint responsibility.

While SFA puts in place and enforces the regulatory measures, food operators must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices.

Members of the public who have concerns about food safety practices by food operators should report to SFA via the online feedback form (www.sfa.gov.sg/feedback).

Top photos from Shin Min Daily News