Added spice? Diner finds cigarette butt in mala dish, hawker counters that it's dried red chilli
[UPDATE: Jan 5, 2.50pm]
A spokes person from Singapore Food Agency (SFA) told AsiaOne that they are investigating the matter.
"Food safety is a joint responsibility. While SFA puts in place and enforces the regulatory measures, retail food establishments must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices," said SFA
SFA also said they will not hesitate to take enforcement action if they have obtained sufficient evidence.
Members of the public who come across any potentially errant food establishment should report to SFA via the online feedback form.
Some of the more adventurous ones like to feel the heat by ordering da la (extra spicy) for their mala xiang guo dishes.
But one woman got a different kind of spice, or fire after she found a used cigarette butt in her food from a mala xiang guo stall at People's Park Food Centre.
In a Facebook post on Monday (Dec 26), PeiYi Neo said she ordered a mala dish from this stall on the same day at around 2.30pm.
She only made the grisly discovery towards the end of her meal.
Speaking to AsiaOne, Neo said she felt "disgusted".
"I was shocked because I finished the mala already," she told us, adding that she had shared the food with her husband.
This was not her first time ordering food from this stall.
Upset, Neo said she approached the staff to tell them about the cigarette butt.
Their explanation? It is one of the dried red chillies in the dish.
After which, the unapologetic staff turned away from Neo to entertain another customer, she said.
"As I was with my three-year-old girl, I didn't want to fight or talk back, so I took a photo of the shop and cigarette butt and left the place," recounted Neo.
Neo shared that she has reported the incident to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and was told they will be doing an investigation.
AsiaOne has also reached out to SFA for more details.
Back in June, another diner found a used cigarette butt in his food.
The man had ordered a packet of roasted duck rice from Hua Zai HK Style Roasted Delight via GrabFood.
On his third mouthful, he realised there was a "cigarette taste". Upon spitting his food out, he discovered a used cigarette butt lodged between the rice and meat.
After the incident, he lodged a complaint with GrabFood and the company has since provided a full refund for the order.
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