Sakura Buffet's licence cancelled over food safety; consumers warned against 12 linked caterers
Consumers are warned not to buy from 12 web-based businesses linked to Sakura Buffet, including Angel Confinement Meals and Home Tingkat Catering.
File photo of catered food. (Photo: Unsplash/Asiya Kiev)
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SINGAPORE: Sakura Buffet, a company that supplied food to a dozen web-based businesses, had its licence cancelled due to food safety concerns, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in a news release on Saturday (May 11).
The agency said that starting from late March 2024, it received feedback on food safety concerns of home-delivery catered meals provided by five web-based businesses.
"Some of these concerns included undercooked and mouldy food or presence of foreign matter in food such as hair and insects," it said.
SFA found that the food provided by those web-based businesses were supplied by Sakura Buffet, which was licensed by the agency to provide catering services. Seven other similar businesses were later discovered to be also linked to Sakura Buffet.
The 12 web-based businesses linked to Sakura Buffet
- Yu Mummy Confinement Meals
- Home Tingkat Catering
- Happy Mamapapa Catering
- Vegetarian Buffet
- Angel Confinement Meals
- After Surgery Food Delivery / Catering
- Healthy Meals Catering
- Keto Meals Catering
- Grain Luscious
- Royal Cuisine Group / The Garden Kitchen
- Nonya Buffet
- Pregnancy Meals Catering
SFA conducted inspections at Sakura Buffet's premises at Geylang Bahru from March to May, uncovering several food safety lapses.
"These include failure to keep its premises clean and false labelling the time-stamping of packed food," said SFA.
The food safety management system required of catering businesses was also poorly implemented at the premises, it added.
SFA said that it had taken enforcement action against Sakura Buffet on 4 separate occasions - between November 2023 and April 2024 - for various food safety and hygiene lapses.
"In spite of this, the company was recalcitrant and failed to improve."
To "protect consumers against any further food safety violations", SFA cancelled Sakura Buffet's licence on Friday. It will no longer be allowed to operate at their licensed premises.
Further investigations into the cases reported to SFA are ongoing.
SFA also advised customers not to place orders with the dozen businesses linked to Sakura Buffet as a safety precaution.
"Affected customers may pursue the matter directly with the businesses or lodge a complaint with CASE or Small Claims Tribunals.
"Consumers are also advised to check that the food caterer has a valid SFA license before placing any orders."
Between May 8 and May 10, the Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) received 22 consumer complaints linked to Sakura Buffet and its web-based businesses.
"Consumers reported that these businesses failed to honour the delivery of its meals, and the businesses did not provide clarity on when they would honour their contractual obligations," said Mr Melvin Yong, CASE president.
"CASE is of the view that consumers should be entitled to a full refund of the unutilised balance of their contracted orders.
"The onus is on the company to comply with food safety and licensing requirements. It is also unclear when the business will be able to rectify its food safety issues and be allowed to operate again."
