A KFC outlet’s license has been suspended by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for two weeks from Tuesday (April 6) as it sold food that was “unclean or contained foreign matter” over two separate incidents.
One of the incidents involved a customer finding a screw in the porridge she had ordered for breakfast.
The outlet – located at Oasis Terraces in Punggol – had accumulated 12 demerit points over a 12 month period, due to the offences committed. On top of the suspension, the outlet was fined $800.
Image source: Instagram / kfc_sg
In a statement released on its website, SFA said: “Based on track records, a licensee who accumulates 12 or more demerit points during a 12-month period may have their licence suspended for a period of either two or four weeks, or cancelled.”
The statement added that all food handlers working in the suspended premises would also be required to re-attend and pass the Food Safety Course Level 1 before they can resume work.
The agency said: “SFA takes a serious view of these offences and would like to remind food operators to observe good food and personal hygiene practices at all times, and to engage only registered food handlers.”
“SFA will not hesitate to take firm action against anyone found to be in violation of the Environmental Public Health Act.”
In addition, SFA also advised members of the public to report food establishments with poor hygiene practices that they have come across and to stop patronising them.
Tips To Avoiding Food Safety Issues In Restaurants
Image source: iStock
According to the SFA, one of the leading causes of food poisoning is mishandling, especially during preparation. But at restaurants, we often don’t get to see how our food is prepared. If we’re not too careful, this could lead to food safety issues in restaurants and cost us our health.
To ease your worries and ensure that you as well as your loved ones are safe while eating out, here are a few tips to avoid food poisoning at public restaurants:
- Double check if the food you ordered is fully cooked. This is especially if you’ve ordered a meal with meat, poultry and fish. If it appears undercooked, send it back to be cooked further enough to be safe to eat.
- Best to avoid food that is served lukewarm. If you’ve ordered cold or steaming hot food, then it should come at the temperature you desire. Germs can grow quickly and cause food poisoning when around a lukewarm temperature.
- Check to see if the restaurant staff is following proper safety measures. If by chance you see how they cook your food, check if they’re wearing gloves or hairnets while preparing meals.
- When in doubt, you can also look up the restaurant’s history. Before you indulge in their food, see if you can find any recent news about their food to see if there are any bad reviews.
- If you’re going to bring some food home, make sure to take care of your leftovers quickly. It’s best to eat takeout within 3 to 4 days.
This article was first published in AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.
Lead image source from Instagram / kfc_sg.
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