Diners abandoned their meals after spotting cockroach on the table, SFA says food safety is a joint responsibility

SINGAPORE: A group of diners were shocked when their late-night meal at Seng Kee Black Chicken Herbal Soup was interrupted by an uninvited guest — a cockroach.

One of the diners complained that at around one in the morning, he and his friends were almost finished with their meal when a huge cockroach suddenly appeared on their table. He then raised his concern to an elderly cleaner, who just acknowledged it and tried to chase the cockroach away. “We left immediately,” the diner declared. 

In CCTV footage shared with Stomp, the diners appeared startled when they saw the cockroach, and one of them got up from his seat. The video also showed them informing the elderly cleaner about the incident and pointing at their table.

Furthermore, the diner messaged the eatery about the incident via WhatsApp but was dissatisfied with the response that he got. The eatery asked the diner if he managed to get the affected dish changed, but the diner said they did not decide to get another meal because they were in no mood to eat afterwards. 

The eatery tried to make up for the incident by offering a complimentary dessert to the diners if they decided to visit once again. 

Sharing his experience, the diner said: “How to just change the affected dish lol… I’m not looking for a refund.” 

Seng Kee Black Chicken Herbal Soup checked the CCTV footage and admitted that the cockroach was “flying from outside to the table”. Additionally, a spokesperson for the eatery said the diners should have informed one of their staff about what happened, and not the old man, who they claimed did not know anything.  

Food safety is a joint responsibility

According to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the food industry, consumers, and the government all have a responsibility for food safety. 

The food industry must follow food safety rules and keep food clean, while consumers need to handle and store food properly. Furthermore, the government’s role is to set rules, check that businesses follow them, and take action if food is unsafe. 

Everyone needs to work together to help keep food safe for everyone to consume. 

“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. Members of the public who have concerns about food safety practices by food operators should report to SFA via the online feedback form,” SFA remarked.