Customer Horrified To Find Centipede In His Noodles at Bugis Hawker Centre

Usually, we have no issues dining out.

Most food stall establishments have been served an “A”, “B”, “C” or “D” rating by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

This rating is prominently marked out in a corner of each stall in most hawker centres and eating places, yet I’ll bet most of us don’t even give this background-coloured giant letter a glance.

After all, we’re assured by Singapore’s high standards; the food we’re going to eat is safe.

But then something like this happens.

Centipede Found in a Bowl of Noodles

Yuck, I’m gonna puke, says your sister.

That’s freaking gross, right? A centipede right there in the bowl of noodles!

This photo was posted on Stomp by Stomper Tan after he found the centipede in his noodles at 2.30 p.m. on 29 Aug.

It was purchased from Jia Le Spinach Soup Stall.

The offending stall, which is located at Waterloo Street Food Centre, has been investigated by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for the incident.

SFA has mentioned that they have found no hygiene lapses by Jia Le Spinach.

Other Cases of Food Poisoning in the Past

Food poisoning happens here more often than you think. The culprits include centipedes, roaches, raw oysters, tuna and so on.

While most of the victims recovered, some cases resulted in deaths:

• The famous 2009 Geylang Serai Indian Rojak case, where 150 people fell ill and 2 women died;
• Contaminated Nasi Padang at the Nasi Padang Stall at Northpoint Mall in 2014, which led to a four-year-old’s death.

You can read about other cases here and here.

I’m unable to advise you on how to ensure your food is clean when you dine out.

And eating each mouthful gingerly just in case there’s a “roach inside” isn’t the best option.

Nevertheless, do stop eating immediately and report it to the stall if you find anything wrong with your meal. The authorities (NEA) are your next step if the stall does not respond appropriately.

You might just find a stray… something inside. You never know.