Famous seafood restaurant caught cutting crabs on a rag, raising hygiene concerns

SINGAPORE: A famous seafood restaurant located in Ang Mo Kio was found cutting crabs on a rag, which was used to wipe the dining table afterwards. With this, customers later questioned the restaurant’s food safety. 

A video circulating online shows someone filming a restaurant’s CCTV screen, wherein a kitchen employee was cutting open a cooked crab on a rag with his ungloved hands. At the same time, another employee used the same rag to wipe the serving table.

The video also recorded the conversation between an employee and a customer. The customer asked the employee why they were cutting crab on a dishcloth, to which the employee explained that the dishcloth was clean and constantly wiped. 

Shin Min Daily News interviewed the owner of the seafood restaurant and admitted that it was an employee’s momentary negligence, and that the employee had been warned and arranged to attend a hygiene training course again. 

The owner also explained to the reporters that because the cooked crabs were not completely cut in half, the employee simply placed a clean cloth underneath it, cut it in half, and put it into the casserole dish. 

“He made a mistake because he was trying to be quick. He wouldn’t normally do that, and it doesn’t fit our usual operating standards,” the owner admitted. 

The owner also declared that his employees usually cut and chop ingredients on a cutting board, and the restaurant will take this matter seriously. He also emphasised that he would strengthen his supervision to ensure that all employees follow correct procedures at all times. 

The Singapore Food Agency encourages food safety when handling seafood. They encourage people to use clean plates when serving the food, so they don’t get contaminated. 

Furthermore, the authorities encourage diners to watch out for food establishments and check how they follow good safety habits.