SFA investigating case of squashed rat in food delivery bag from Annabella Patisserie

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Friday (Nov 10) that it is looking into an incident in which a woman found a dead rat inside a delivery bag containing brownies she had ordered from Annabella Patisserie.

The incident happened on Wednesday.

The woman, who only wanted to be known as Mdm Farahliza, said in a Facebook post that the delivery bag was Velcro sealed when it was hung on her gate as requested. She told CNA that she took the bag from the gate about three minutes after it was delivered.

"As I opened the door, there was a strong pungent smell from the bag, I was curious so I opened up the bag and took out the box from the bag and found something else inside it," said Mdm Farahliza, 37.

"It was dark, I carried it to my dining area where it was lighted to have a clearer look inside the bag and to my horror there was a dead squashed rat inside the bag." 

BAKERY SUSPENDS SALES VIA PARTNER OUTLET

Annabella Patisserie said in response to CNA's queries that the order was handled by its partner outlet at Nordcomm II, an industrial space in the Sembawang area, and that it has suspended all sales via the partner outlet until an internal investigation is completed.

"We are cooperating with relevant health and safety authorities in this regard," the bakery said, adding that it is reviewing quality control processes and reinforcing staff training to further emphasise the importance of adhering to food safety protocols.

"We are committed to taking all necessary steps to rectify this situation and make further improvements."

In a comment under Mdm Farahliza's Facebook post, Annabella Patisserie posted a video showing an employee preparing an order at Nordcomm on Wednesday night but only one side of the bag's interior could be seen.

"We are taking this very seriously and we are working closely with our outlet partner, delivery company, SFA, supplier and packing team to find the root cause," the company wrote in the comment. 

Apologising for an "unfortunate and unacceptable situation", Annabella Patisserie said it has contacted Mdm Farahliza to provide a full refund and gather information for the investigation.

CNA has also contacted Grab for more information after Mdm Farahliza said she reported the issue to the delivery platform. 

SFA said it is investigating the matter.

"Food safety is a joint responsibility," it added.

"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. SFA will not hesitate to take enforcement action against errant food operators."

SOURCE : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/