‘Dead baby cockroach’ found near cake; bakery wants ‘private settlement’ but customer reports case to SFA anyway

SINGAPORE: An unhappy customer took to social media after an unwanted discovery in the box of the birthday cake he ordered: an insect he described as a “dead baby cockroach.”

However, what added insult to injury appeared to be how the bakery handled the situation.

On Tuesday (June 11), a Facebook user named Jeff Soh posted on not one but two group pages called Complaint Singapore about the incident, saying he bought a Chocolate Classico cake from the Four Leaves bakery at HarbourFront Centre outlet on June 9.

Mr Soh said he put the cake in the refrigerator after he got home and only took it out that night to present it to the birthday celebrant.

But much to his dismay, he added that they found the dead baby cockroach on the cake board next to the sweet treat.

He then phoned Xiao Hong, the shop supervisor, to inform her about the situation. However, since the company’s central kitchen was already closed, she said she could do nothing more than inform the store outlet manager, Daniel.

Mr Soh said that Daniel called him back an hour later but Mr Soh was unhappy with the call, claiming that the manager “was more interested to know how the cockroach came about and (how) to arrange to retrieve the ‘evidence’.”

Moreover, he added that Daniel sought “a private settlement without offering any remedial actions. He was also suggesting going for a private settlement and not alert the relevant agency.”

Additionally, since Mr Soh already reported the incident to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on June 10, Four Leaves has allegedly rejected his request for a refund.

“I wish to bring this issue to light so that consumers are aware of this unhygienic establishment in handling food and more importantly the extremely poor customer service standards displayed by the company staff & its senior management,” wrote Mr Soh, who also posted photos of the cake, along with the insect beside it.

The Independent Singapore has contacted Mr Soh and Four Leaves Bakery for further comments and updates.

Meanwhile, SFA has spoken to AsiaOne, underlining that food safety is a collective responsibility. The agency has said it will look into the matter.

“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.” /TISG

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