S'pore woman finds lizard in Wok Hey fried rice, company says 'no sign of lizard activity' at kiosk

A Mothership reader was halfway through her meal when she found an unexpected ingredient in her fried rice: a dead lizard.

The reader, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had ordered the fried rice from a Wok Hey outlet at Tampines One on Jun. 28.

She had already eaten three mouthfuls of the fried rice before she allegedly found the lizard.

In response to Mothership's queries, Wok Hey said it has conducted a review of its outlet, but that its pest control vendor found "no sign of lizard activity at the outlet".

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said separately that it is aware of the matter and is looking into it.

Staff offered 2 complimentary meals in return

According to the reader, she ordered the S$7.30 egg fried rice with chicken on Jun. 28 at 4:51pm through the Wok Hey platform.

The reader said she threw away the meal after the alleged discovery and informed Wok Hey's customer service staff.

She was offered two complimentary meals but declined.

"I didn’t accept the complimentary meal; I asked for the refund of my S$7.30 instead because I will not want to eat there again."

She also filed a report with the SFA.

The reader added: "Retail line is not easy. The staff might be working for over 10 hours."

"The management or manager should do spot check at the premises."

Wok Hey says 'no sign of lizard activity' at outlet

A spokesperson from Wok Hey said after receiving the customer's feedback, it conducted a review of the premises, including a check of its CCTV footage.

"Based on our findings to date, the meal was freshly prepared and left our outlet in line with our food safety and operational standards," the company said.

"Our pest control vendor identified the lizard as a common house lizard, and their report found no sign of lizard activity at the outlet."

The spokesperson said it had issued the customer a full refund "as a gesture of goodwill".

"While our findings to date do not support the claim that the house lizard originated from our outlet, we would appreciate the time to complete our review before conclusions are drawn," it said.

It has also reached out to the customer for more information on how the food was stored and consumed.

The review is still ongoing.

SFA's response

In response to Mothership's queries, SFA said it takes a serious view of food safety.

It is looking into the matter and may engage the feedback provider for more information as part of the enquiry, said the spokesperson.

If sufficient evidence is obtained, it "will not hesitate to take enforcement action".

SFA added that food safety is a joint responsibility, and 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 them to SFA via the online feedback form.