S'pore woman allegedly finds dead cockroach in cai png, Bugis stall claims it's a vegetable root

A woman was left shocked after allegedly finding a dead cockroach in her packet of cai png while having lunch in the office.

Dead cockroach in cai png

Speaking to Mothership, the woman, who wished to stay anonymous, said she had ordered cai png from the mixed rice store at the Malaysia Boleh in Bugis Junction on Jan. 7.

When she opened the takeaway box, she noticed what appeared to be a dead cockroach lying on top of her okra dish.

She immediately contacted Malaysia Boleh via Instagram.

"Vegetable root"

In an initial response, Malaysia Boleh said the matter had been escalated to the tenant stall holder.

However, the food court operator later said the stall owner had checked the item and assessed that it was a vegetable root rather than a foreign object.

"We have followed up with our tenant stall owner, who has checked the item in question. Based on their assessment, they have advised that it was a vegetable root and not a foreign object."

She then asked if she should bring the item back to the stall to show the staff that what he had found was, in fact, a cockroach.

In response, Malaysia Boleh said it was unable to clearly identify the item based on the photos the woman had provided, and added that if she still had the item, she could bring it back to the stall to show the stall owner for further clarification.

Matter has been escalated to the operations team

Malaysia Boleh subsequently told her it had escalated the issue to its operations team and the tenant stall owner, reminding them to "be attentive and maintain strict standards at all times".

It also said it appreciated the feedback and reiterated that hygiene and food quality are its top priorities.

When asked if she had returned to the stall, the woman said she did not see a need to do so without further follow-up or acknowledgement from the operator regarding the alleged pest.

She has since filed a report with the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

Internal checks on food preparation and hygiene processes have been conducted

In response to Mothership's queries, Malaysia Boleh stated they take such concerns seriously and are in ongoing communication with the customer to better understand what happened.

They had requested the item to aid in their investigation, but have yet to receive it.

Malaysia Boleh further added that without examining the actual item, they would not be able to confirm its nature based on images alone, "as visual similarities can be misleading".

However, they have conducted internal checks on food preparation and hygiene processes at the stall, as well as reinforced quality controls with the operator as a precautionary measure.

"We remain committed to resolving this matter and are continuing our engagement with the customer, and we remain open to reviewing the case should the item be provided for assessment."

Mothership has reached out to SFA for comment.

The SFA tells Mothership that they are looking into the matter.

Here is their statement:

"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.

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 should report to SFA via the online feedback form (www.sfa.gov.sg/feedback).

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 courtesy of the Mothership reader