SFA Suspends Mee Pok Place in Joo Chiat for Cockroach Infestation

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has announced that it will be suspending the licence of a food stall at 64 Joo Chiat Place.

It turns out that people weren’t the only ones patronising the shop. There were more (unwelcome) customers there as well:

Cockroaches.

SFA Suspends Mee Pok Place in Joo Chiat for Cockroach Infestation

The stall in question, Ah Lim Jln. Tua Kong Mee Pok, will cease operations for two weeks, from 2 June to 15 June 2021.

Under the Points Demerit System, it has racked up 12 demerit points over a 12-month period for “failure to keep licensed premises free of cockroach infestation”.

One offence of this warrants six demerit points. Ah Lim Jln. Tua Kong Mee Pok has been found guilty of this offence twice.

It has also been fined S$800.

The Consequences

According to SFA, “a licensee who accumulates 12 or more demerit points during a 12-month period may have his licence suspended for a period of either two or four weeks, or cancelled.”

Additionally, “all food handlers working in the suspended premises would also be required to re-attend and pass the Food Safety Course Level 1, before they can resume work as food handlers.”

Food Operators Should Maintain Good Hygiene

SFA has stated that it “takes a serious view of these offences”, and would like to call upon all food operators to observe good hygiene at all times—which is probably even more important now since we are in the throes of a global pandemic.

Food operators should thus only engage registered food handlers.

SFA has warned that it “will not hesitate to take firm action against anyone found to be in violation of the Environmental Public Health Act.”

It has also called on the general public to do their part in ensuring a high standard of food hygiene at all eating establishments by not frequenting places that do not uphold these standards.

Anyone who comes across food establishments with poor hygiene should inform SFA via their online feedback form or dial SFA’s Contact Centre at 68052871 to provide details that can aid in follow-up investigations.

Mall Explains Why So Many Cockroaches Appeared on East Point Mall Carpark

In more yucky cockroach news, a Facebook user has taken to the Facebook group Complaint Singapore to air his concerns about the cleanliness standards of the East Point Mall near Simei MRT station.

Within the post, he attached photos depicting over a hundred cockroaches congregating into a palm-sized lump on a wall in the mall’s underground carpark.

There were more crawling about on the ground, and some in the loading and unloading bays amongst other areas.

Responding to Lianhe Wanbao’s queries, a spokesman of East Point Mall said that they had received the notification on 30 May, and had immediately hired a pest extermination company to get rid of the cockroaches.

“We’ve also cleaned every corner of the carpark, so as to maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of the environment,” said the spokesperson. They also expressed their regret for the inconvenience caused by the incident, claiming that they would take further steps when needed.

Featured Image: Facebook (Ah Lim Jalan Tua Kong Mee Pok)