When we head to the supermarket to buy our groceries, we always assume that everything on the shelves is safe for consumption.
But this all depends on how food manufacturers and distributors handle our food.
Storage is particularly important when it comes to raw meat, as the bacteria naturally found on raw meat begins to grow to levels that are unsafe for consumption when left outside for too long.
Consumers would have no idea if the meat they purchase has been stored properly, but fortunately for us, a certain agency is ensuring that our food remains safe for our stomachs.
Online Grocer OurPasar Fined for Not Storing Raw Meat for Sale in a Chiller
An online grocer was fined yesterday (8 Sep) for two offences related to improper storage, the Singapore Food Agency said.
For storing meat and seafood in an unlicensed cold store, as well as storing raw meat for sale without a chiller, OurPasar Essentials was fined S$11,000.
Its managing director, Muhammad Shafizan bin Saikh Abdul Kader, was also fined S$9,000 for “failing to exercise due diligence to prevent the offence from being committed,” SFA said.
In a post on Facebook, SFA shared a picture of various cuts of packaged raw meat on a table.
On 9 Feb this year, officers from the agency discovered that the grocer’s employees were handling packets of raw meat and seafood which were laid out on tables, without any form of refrigeration.
Some raw chicken wings were even left exposed near a driveway.
In total, around 312kg of illegally stored meat and seafood were seized, and 125kg of unrefrigerated raw beef and chicken were disposed of.
“Illegal storage of meat and seafood at unlicensed facilities as well as storing raw meat without a chiller pose a food safety risk,” the SFA said.
“Cold stores for meat and seafood are required to be licensed, and are regularly inspected by SFA.”
While the company was in the process of applying for a licence, it had not been approved yet.
Company Calls Image “Misleading”
OurPasar Essentials responded soon after news of their lapses broke, saying it has been making “vast improvements” in its daily operations since their offences were discovered.
View this post on Instagram
“OurPasar management made a lapse in judgement to continue with operations whilst its SFA license application was pending approval,” it wrote.
It also referenced a CNA article that shared images of the improperly stored raw meat – provided by the SFA – and called them “misleading”.
“With regards to the misleading image that accompanied the article, OurPasar would like to clarify that the meats, poultry, and fresh seafood were consolidated together for evidence,” it said.
“Fresh products packed for customers are either freshly slaughtered or delivered to us on the same day,” it added.
OurPasar said it has since moved to an SFA-approved facility and has been serving “quality assured products” ever since.
“We thank all valuable OurPasar customers for your continuous support and feedback. We strive to always improve ourselves to serve you better,” it said.
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Featured Image: SFA
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