“It was a teen cockroach!” — Diner shocked to find a bug “hiding” under the vegetable he ate

SINGAPORE: A man who found an unwanted object in his food took to social media and posted photos of the unwelcome find.

Facebook user Sky Tan posted on the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE group page on Friday night (Oct 4), writing that he found a cockroach in his meal after having almost finished it.

“It was hidden under the vegetable I ate, and then I noticed something black. On closer inspection, it was a teen cockroach,” wrote Mr Tan.

He included three photos with his post: a close-up of the insect, a picture of what appears to be the remains of his meal with the roach on top of some rice, and the order confirmation from a food delivery service of his meal, which he had ordered from an eatery that serves Chinese food and is located on Yishun Avenue.

When a commenter on his post wrote that the insect looked “fresh” and suggested that it could have come from the bag of the food delivery rider, Mr Tan wrote that his food had come in a sealed container and plastic bag.

“My guess is pre-cooking; otherwise, the cockroach will still be alive if it crawls in after preparation,” he wrote, and asked, “What should I do?”

Another Facebook user answered him by saying that he may report the issue to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The SFA oversees food safety in Singapore, while the NEA’s aim is to ensure a clean and sustainable environment for Singapore.

“The presence of pests in food premises is unacceptable as pests carry a range of pathogens, which can contaminate food and food contact surfaces.

Consumption of food and water contaminated by rats and cockroaches may lead to food poisoning and other infectious diseases. They can also damage foods intended for human consumption,” said the NEA in a public health document.

They also added that Mr Tan should seek medical help at a clinic or hospital if he feels unwell after eating the food he ordered. Mr Tan said in a comment that he would reach out to foodpanda, the delivery service that handled his order, so that they could investigate the matter.

However, he was uncertain whether he needed to keep the insect, presumably to show proof that his food had been contaminated.

Another commenter told Mr Tan that foodpanda should give him a refund for his meal.

The Independent Singapore has contacted Mr Tan and foodpanda for further comments or updates. /TISG

Read also: ‘Dead baby cockroach’ found near cake; bakery wants ‘private settlement’ but customer reports case to SFA anyway