SFA investigates after diners ingest plastic pieces in durian dessert that they thought was crushed ice

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has begun investigations after a pair of friends discovered hard plastic pieces in their durian snow ice dessert from popular dessert chain Mei Heong Yuen Dessert.

The incident took place on 11 June. One of the friends, Jes, told citizen journalism site Stomp that they initially mistook the sharp fragments for crushed ice.

“We encountered small pieces of hard objects, but swallowed them at first, thinking they were crushed ice,” she said, “However, when we came across a particular hard piece, we realised it was actually hard plastic!”

Alarmed, the pair brought the issue to the attention of the restaurant’s staff. They requested that the remaining durian purée be filtered in their presence and recorded the process on video. The filtering apparently revealed even more pieces of plastic embedded in the dessert.

Jes attempted to escalate the matter, asking to speak with the outlet’s manager. However, her call went unanswered. She and her friend then contacted the brand’s main outlet in Chinatown.

“The owner answered the call and claimed it was impossible for them to be plastic. She offered a replacement, exchange, or refund,” Jes recounted, “We explained to her the seriousness of the situation, but she still brushed it off and said she would ask the staff for photos and send the dessert down to her to investigate.”

The next day, instead of receiving the promised follow-up from the manager, Jes received a voice message from a staff member who insisted there could not have been any plastic in the durian purée.

Jes said that when she called back to express her concerns, the owner became hostile. “She pushed the responsibility to her supplier and claimed the durian was not grown by her,” Jes said, “We told her we would report the case to the authorities for investigation and she guilt-tripped us by asking if we wanted to see her die.”

SFA has confirmed that it is currently investigating the matter. The government agency told Stomp: “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.”

Consumers who encounter potential food safety lapses are encouraged to report such cases directly to the agency through their online feedback form at www.sfa.gov.sg/feedback.