131 people have fallen ill from food poisoning

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Stamford Catering latest to have food hygiene rating downgraded after 52 people fell ill

 

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has downgraded the food hygiene rating of popular catering firm Stamford Catering from “A” to “C” with effect from Tuesday (July 9) after 52 people fell ill after consuming food provided by the company.

 

In a food hygiene notice posted on its website on Tuesday, the SFA said that the 52 people had reported having gastroenteritis symptoms after consuming the food on March 2 this year.

 

One person was hospitalised and has since been discharged, said the SFA, and all 52 people have since recovered.

 

The SFA added a joint inspection conducted on March 5 together with the Ministry of Health found a “high bacterial load” that was detected in “food and environmental samples”, which the SFA said could have been contributing factors to the outbreak.

 

“SFA also found hygiene lapses such as poor housekeeping of appliances during its inspection,” the agency said.

 

It added that Stamford Catering has since “rectified the lapses and stepped up on the upkeep and maintenance of their premises and equipment”.

 

The SFA, however, will keep the firm’s premises under surveillance and review the “C” rating in 12 months.

 

A check on SFA’s search engine shows that Stamford Catering has currently accumulated six points in the SFA’s points demerit system.

 

When a firm accumulates 12 points or more within 12 months, the firm’s licence will either be suspended for two to four weeks, or be revoked, depending on past suspension records.

 

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lai lai ... its starting again !!

Mum's Kitchen Catering and Cherish Delights get licences suspended after nearly 40 people fall ill

Two caterers have had their licences suspended after 39 people fell ill in separate incidents of suspected gastroenteritis. 

The incidents happened on Aug 31 and Sep 2, involving Mum's Kitchen Catering and Cherish Delights. 

Three people were hospitalised, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in a joint media release on Wednesday (Sep 11).

Two of them have since been discharged, and the remaining patient is in stable condition. 

"In view of the suspected ongoing transmission, SFA has suspended the licences of Mum’s Kitchen Catering Pte Ltd and Cherish Delights Pte Ltd with effect from Sep 10 and Sep 11 respectively until further notice," said the authorities. 

Both caterer's kitchens are located in the Shimei East Kitchen industrial complex in Bedok. 

Food handlers at the two caterers will be required to re-attend and pass the Basic Food Hygiene Course before they can resume work. 

The companies are also required to clean and sanitise the premises, including equipment and utensils.

This is the latest in a series of recent food poisoning incidents involving caterers.

In July, Stamford Catering and Kate’s Catering had their food hygiene grades cut to “C” after 302 people fell ill in separate incidents.

In June, three caterers - Chilli Api Catering, Pro*3 Institutional Catering and Delizio Catering were also downgraded.

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Catering company fined, suspended for improper food storage and dirty kitchen

Catering company AG (Global) Events Catering was on Wednesday (Oct 16) fined S$5,000 by the court for the improper storage of food and poor maintenance of its premises.

According to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the company had stored raw ingredients uncovered on the floor, it did not thaw raw meat properly, and cooked food that was uncovered was contaminated by condensate from an unclean ceiling. 

An infestation of live cockroaches and houseflies was also found on its premises. 

There was structural damage on flooring and wall tiles that were found to be dirty, said SFA, adding that the chiller system was poorly maintained, leading to water leakage. 

These lapses were uncovered during a routine inspection of the catering company's premises on Jun 19.

"In the interest of public health, all finished food products, semi-processed food items and raw ingredients were disposed of immediately," said the agency.

AG (Global) Events Catering's operating licence was also suspended by the agency for a total of 27 days until Jul 16. The suspension was lifted after the caterer rectified the lapses and took measures to improve cleanliness.

"All food operators should ensure that their premises are clean and well-maintained, and staff are adequately trained on proper food safety management," SFA said. 

"SFA will take enforcement action against food operators who do not adhere to regulations or comply with food hygiene and food safety requirements." 

Offenders could face a fine of up to S$5,000. In the case of a continuing offence, companies face a further fine of up to S$100 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

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Taj Catering licence suspended after 29 people fall ill with gastroenteritis

Taj Catering has had its licence suspended on Thursday (Nov 7) until further notice after 29 people fell ill with gastroenteritis symptoms. 

One person was hospitalised after consuming the food prepared by the caterer on Nov 2 and has since been discharged, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in the joint media release. 

The authorities said they detected "multiple hygiene lapses" during their investigation. 

"All food handlers working in the suspended premises are required to re-attend and pass the Basic Food Hygiene Course before they can resume work as food handlers," said MOH and SFA. 

Appointed food hygiene officers working at the company are also required to re-attend and pass the Food Hygiene Office Course before they can resume work as officers. 

The company is also required to clean and sanitise the premises, including equipment and utensils. 

"Food safety is a joint responsibility. SFA would like to remind food operators to observe good food and personal hygiene practices at all times," said the release. 

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