SINGAPORE: A food stall in a Pasir Ris food court was reported to have served a bowl of fish soup containing a cigarette butt. When the incident was posted on social media, it drew numerous disgusted comments from netizens.
A photo of the fish soup, with a used cigarette butt placed on top of the ingredients, was shared on the Facebook group Complaint Singapore by a user named Teddy Lee—though it was not explicitly stated that he was the affected diner. Another photo of the stall’s menu, located in Elias Mall, was also posted.
Netizens expressed their thoughts in the comments section, with many urging the complainant to file a report with the relevant authorities for appropriate action.
One netizen wondered how the cigarette butt ended up “nicely placed” on top of the dish’s ingredients, as if it were a decoration.
Another remarked: “The food handler didn’t notice it? OMG.”
One commenter urged filing a complaint via email, with photos, to the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), and called for a total boycott of the stall.
“NEA now has the photo and stall name—quick, wake up and take action,” another comment concluded.
In Singapore, the NEA regularly inspects food shops and restaurants to ensure compliance with cleanliness standards. If food preparation areas are not kept clean, the authorities will take appropriate action.
Furthermore, smoking while handling food is illegal under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations.
Additionally, the SFA encourages diners to observe food preparation practices. Food handlers must be clean and wear masks or spit guards when preparing food. Food stalls should also be clean and organized to ensure food safety.
