Rat sussing out sambal chilli at eatery in Farrer Park, eatery closed temporarily for pest control

UPDATE on Oct. 13, 3pm: This article has been updated to include a response by the Singapore Food Agency

A woman was eating at an eatery along Tessensohn Road when she discovered a rat crawling around inside the sauce container.

Speaking to Mothership, the woman shared that the rat was spotted on Oct. 11 at 12:45 am at Midnight Noodle Club.

This is an eatery that allows customers to customise their own instant noodles with condiments and other add-ons.

As they were finishing up their meal, they noticed something moving very fast on the floor and realised it was a rat.

Rat crawling inside sambal chilli sauce container

They then told the staff at the counter that there was a rat, but the staff member allegedly just smiled and did nothing.

As they did not see where it went, they continued their conversation.

However, she suddenly saw the rat moving on the sauce table and noticed its tail in the sauce, prompting her to record the sighting.

In a video shared with Mothership, the rodent could clearly be seen inside the sauce container, sniffing or trying out the sambal chilli sauce.

The woman wanted to alert the staff but there was no one at that moment, she said.

She and her friends left after waiting for 10 minutes.

"I was shocked and disgusted by the sight, as this poses a clear public health risk," she said.

Eatery closed temporarily as a precaution: representative

In response to Mothership's queries, a representative of Midnight Noodle Club said that the outlet is temporarily closed "as a precaution".

"We take these feedback and incidents seriously and have taken immediate actions to investigate further on the cause of the matter," the representative said.

They are working with the landlord and a pest control contractor for "a review" and to "carry out necessary actions in response to the feedback received".

They have also disposed all items that might be affected by the incident.

Investigating

In response to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is investigating this incident.

SFA added that food safety is a joint responsibility. Therefore, while SFA places and enforces regulatory measures, food operators must also play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices.

Food operators should also ensure their premises are clean and well-maintained.

Members of the public who have concerns about food safety practices by food operators can report to SFA via their online feedback form.

"SFA takes a serious view towards food safety and will investigate all feedback alleging poor food safety practices. As part of the enquiry and gathering of evidence, SFA may engage the feedback provider for more details and will not hesitate to take enforcement action if sufficient evidence has been obtained."

Top photos from Mothership reader