Customer calls out ‘unfair’ full-price charge for ‘more meat’ at mixed rice stalls

Singapore — A customer has complained about pricing practices at mixed rice stalls, observing that unfair pricing has been ongoing for years and has become more prevalent recently.

The extra costs at food and beverage establishments have often been highlighted on social media. Customers say that the extra charges imposed don’t match the value added to the meals they purchase.

Ms Lee, a customer, told The Independent Singapore that some mixed rice stalls may add a bit of extra meat to a dish that is mostly vegetables, but charge customers full price as for a “meat dish”.

She showed this example of two packets of food ordered from a stall at Clifford Centre.

One packet, which costs S$3.90, contains two vegetables and chicken.

The other packet categorised as “3 meat and 1 veg” had mostly leeks, mushrooms or tofu, some pork and lady’s fingers, and cost S$5.10.

“This has been happening for at least eight years now – when we first noticed, and is more prevalent nowadays,” said Ms Lee.

“Issue is, people would not realise such pricing was in place, as it is easy to attribute the charges due to food price increase,” said Ms Lee.

“It is unfair to the customer, especially when all or most of the vegetable dishes are mixed with a bit of meat to sell as a ‘meat’ dish.”

Ms Lee said that she has brought up the issue to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), but has not received a substantive response.

“CASE commented that they would not take this complaint, as they do not regulate hawker or food stall pricing. They deemed such cases as under NEA,” which functions under the SFA, said Ms Lee. NEA is the National Environment Agency.

It appeared that they were just pushing the issue around, and there were no attempts to resolve it, she added.

The Independent Singapore has reached out to CASE and SFA for comment.

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