Goodwood Park bakery suspension lifted, could face penalties
Goodwood Park Hotel's durian puffs. Photo: Goodwood Park Hotel/Facebook
SINGAPORE — The suspension order on Goodwood Park Hotel’s bakery kitchen was lifted on Friday (May 20) by the National Environment Agency (NEA), but the agency will be taking further enforcement action against the hotel for the hygiene lapses it uncovered during investigations.
Its spokesperson told TODAY that under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) regulations, licensees may be fined up to S$2,000 for each offence upon conviction.
NEA will also be closely monitoring the kitchen until it is satisfied that the hotel is practising good food safety and hygiene measures in its operations.
An inspection before the order was lifted was conducted on April 28 by the NEA, Health Ministry and Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore, a joint statement released on Friday said. The bakery’s licence to operate was suspended on April 22 after a spate of food poisoning cases was linked to the durian pastries sold there. More than 180 people were affected after eating the popular durian pastries from the hotel’s bakery between March 15 and April 16.
In response to TODAY’s queries, Goodwood Park Hotel said that the re-opening date of the Deli bakery has not been confirmed. Once it reopens, it would first sell non-durian products, while selected durian pastries such as mousse cakes, puffs and ice-cream would be “made available in due course”, the hotel said.
The authorities said durian pastry samples taken on April 13 tested positive for E coli and Salmonella bacteria. Two food handlers in the kitchen, a part-timer and a trainee, as well as three consumers who fell ill, tested positive for norovirus.
During the investigation, the agencies observed instances of poor personal and food handling practices during the preparation of durian pastries at the hotel. In one instance, the investigation team saw that a worker did not use gloves that covered her arms completely while preparing the durian crepe filling. The exposed skin on her forearms touched the filling when she was manually mixing it. During the suspension, the bakery had to throw away all pastries prepared there, and carry out cleaning and sanitising works.
The hotel management has since submitted its plan to “tighten its supervisory regime”, such as ensuring that sick workers are not involved in preparing and serving food, and that kitchen workers declare their health condition daily before they can start work.
All food handlers have had their stool screened, and have re-taken and passed a basic food hygiene training course. Except for the two workers who had the norovirus who have yet to be cleared for work by the Health Ministry, the rest are allowed to start work.
Goodwood Park Hotel said it would “continue its usual food safety and hygiene practices with more stringent monitoring”, including having monthly food safety meetings to discuss related matters.
