S'pore man, 50, & family finds potato with black discolouration in dinner from Saizeriya

A man who was enjoying a meal from Saizeriya with his family was alarmed after discovering a ring of black discolouration inside one of the potatoes.

By then, his daughter had already eaten several pieces of the other potatoes that came along with the grilled salmon.

The meal was delivered via GrabFood.

Black ring

Speaking to Mothership, the father, Kelvin, 50, shared that the meal was ordered from Saizeriya's Hillion Mall branch via GrabFood on Jan. 4 at about 5:30pm.

As they were enjoying the meal, a piece of potato fell off his daughter's fork, which is when she noticed that something was amiss with its appearance.

They discovered the blackened portion inside the potato after they cut it in half.

By then, his daughter had already eaten several pieces of potato that came with the grilled salmon.

Kelvin immediately raised the issue with GrabFood.

Health concerns

While her daughter is well, Kelvin told Mothership that he is bringing attention to the matter as consuming potentially rotten potatoes could pose "serious health risks", such as food poisoning.

He pointed out that he did not face issues when ordering from Saizeriya's Hillion Mall outlet in the past.

"I trust Saizeriya for a safe and enjoyable dining experience, and this incident was concerning," Kelvin commented.

"I hope they can reinforce checks within their food preparation and quality control processes to ensure all ingredients, especially produce, are fresh and safe before serving. This is crucial for customer safety and trust," he continued.

He has since submitted a feedback to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

In his email to the agency, Kelvin expressed similar concerns about food safety.

SFA looking into matter

Responding to queries from Mothership, SFA said that it was looking into the matter.

"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," the agency said.

It added that food operators should also ensure their premises are clean and well-maintained.

SFA also said that it 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," the agency highlighted.

SFA advised members of the public to report concerns about food safety practices by food operators via their online feedback form.

Mothership has reached out to Saizeriya for comment.

Received compensation from Grab

Kelvin said he was later contacted by a member of Grab's safety response team.

He praised the way the staff handled things, pointing out that the staff "demonstrated a strong sense of accountability" despite the issue not being of "his personal making".

According to Kelvin, the staff showed concern for his daughter's well-being and provided advice that "went beyond a standard script".

He has since received compensation from Grab.

“We are glad that our team could step in and support our customer with the care they deserve," a Grab spokesperson said in response to Mothership's queries.

"On a platform like Grab, looking after our community is at the heart of what we do — especially when it comes to food quality and safety," the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson also shared that Grab takes every report seriously, and its focus is on resolving issues quickly for customers while working closely with merchant-partners to keep standards high.

Top image courtesy of Kelvin