SINGAPORE — The photos and videos of a “WRIGGLING parasitic worm” found in the ready-to-eat sashimi rice bowl from Don Don Donki were widely shared over Facebook last week, with Ms Jayice Tan writing, “So guys and gals, do OPEN your eyes BIG BIG before you put food into your mouth, you never know what goes in!”
Both Don Don Donki and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) have commented on the matter. The Japanese multinational discount store chain said it has reached out to Ms Tan and added that while “best attempts” are made to ensure food safety, food parasites may not be completely removed “if they are hidden deep inside the core of the fish or embedded in the fish.”
SFA, meanwhile, is quoted in CNA as saying that “consumers who choose to eat ready-to-eat raw fish should be aware of the risks involved”.
”Ready-To-Eat (RTE) raw fish is considered a high-risk food as it does not go through a cooking process. Besides microbiological contamination, the consumption of RTE raw fish also carries a risk of contracting parasitic diseases,” the agency added.
Ms Tan had written in a Feb 8 post on her account that she and her husband had been at 100 AM mall that evening and had bought food from DON DON DONKI Singapore, whom she tagged in her post.
“We were happily enjoying the food until we spotted ‘something’ unusual on the raw fish in the Kaisen Don which we were sharing… Upon taking a closer look, we were wondering if that ‘something’ was ‘moving’, and decided to continue observing.
After a few seconds, to our horror, it was moving and wriggling! It was ALIVE and WRIGGLING parasitic worm in the Kaisen Don we were so astounded!”
Ms Tan wrote that unfortunately, she and her husband had almost finished eating, and added that she “can’t imagine what goes into our body!”
She had never encountered parasitic worms in their food in Singapore or when travelling abroad.
She added, “Looking at the videos make us wanna puke further, it just makes us feel so uncomfortable and nauseated right now. 12 mill TOTO also not so lucky.”
Ms Tan expressed the hope that they would not encounter “serious” health trouble due to the incident and warned readers to check their food carefully before eating it.
SFA told members of the media on Tuesday (Feb 14) that “suppliers and retail food establishments should also practice proper segregation of RTE raw fish from other raw food intended for cooking.”
It added that as a general precaution, “vulnerable people with a lower immunity system such as pregnant women, children and the elderly, or people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, should not consume raw fish.” /TISG
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