Proofer Bakery fined after dead mice, dirt and grime found in central kitchen
An inspection by the Singapore Food Agency uncovered dead mice, sliding doors black with dirt and remnants of baked goods.
The dead mice found in Proofer's kitchen. (Photos: SFA)
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SINGAPORE: Proofer Bakery was fined S$3,000 (US$2,240) by a court on Wednesday (Dec 6) for failing to keep its premises clean, after an inspection by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) found dead mice and doors black with dirt in its central kitchen.
A representative for the bakery, which has 17 outlets across Singapore, pleaded guilty to one count under the Sale of Food (Non-Retail Food Business) Regulations of failing to keep a licensed food establishment clean and properly maintained.
SFA previously said it found a massive pest infestation on Oct 26, 2021, when it inspected Proofer's kitchen at KA Foodlink at 171 Kampong Ampat in the MacPherson area.
Officers found live cockroaches, rodent activity and dead rodents in the food preparation areas and in two food delivery trucks.
According to the charge sheet, the floor and door of the dough processing room were found to be dirty, with a dead house mouse under a dirty sliding door.
The walls of the icing room were damaged, dirty, stained and had holes in them.
The floor of the raw materials store was also dirty, with several trolleys found with baked food remnants.
The air duct in the kitchen was dusty, and the walls and ceiling boards in the kitchen were dirty and stained with grime. A dead house mouse was found trapped on a glue board trap in the corner of the kitchen, the charge sheet stated.
The sides and bottoms of the sliding doors to the chiller and freezer were black with dirt, and there was a dead house mouse with droppings at the corner of a washing bay.
The SFA prosecutor on Wednesday asked for a fine of S$3,000, citing previous cases that resulted in fines ranging from S$2,500 to over S$4,000.
He highlighted that the breaches by the company were serious, with "many failings included in the single charge".
Many areas of the licensed food establishment were affected, putting food safety at risk and possibly affecting public health, said the prosecutor.
In mitigation, the representative for Proofer said the company was "definitely guilty for what happened".
"It's oversight, and bad management and bad housekeeping and also not going through the process of checking on the central kitchen," he said.
"Since then, we have taken steps to rectify all the issues and also closed down our central kitchen to make sure nothing like this will ever happen again."
The representative added that Proofer has since made sure that all its shops where products are made have a cleaning schedule as well as all the requirements to ensure cleanliness and smooth operations.
SFA suspended the food business operations of Proofer Bakery from October 2021 to January 2022. The bakery was also ordered to rectify the lapses and take measures to improve its food safety practices and the cleanliness of its premises.
As a precautionary measure, SFA also directed the company to recall its food products at its then-16 retail outlets on Oct 26, 2021.
The suspension was lifted on Jan 26, 2022.
The judge said he considered the early plea of guilt in the company's favour, and that this was its first offence.
However, there were serious breaches over the cleanliness of the premises.
The maximum fine for failing to keep a licensed establishment clean and properly maintained is S$5,000. A licensee can be given a further fine of up to S$100 for every day or part thereof where the offence continues after conviction.
