Tung Lok fined over contaminated food after gastroenteritis cases reported at CHIJMES event
A sample of salad that was being prepared in a Tung Lok kitchen in Tai Seng was found to contain E. coli.
A sample of salad taken from the company's kitchen yielded E. coli bacteria. (File photo: iStock)
SINGAPORE: Tung Lok Millennium, a subsidiary of Tung Lok Restaurants, was fined S$3,000 (US$2,235) by a court on Wednesday (Mar 20) for preparing contaminated food.
E. coli, a type of bacteria that can trigger diarrhoea, was found in a sample of ready-to-eat salad that was being prepared at Tung Lok's Tai Seng premises.
A representative for the company pleaded guilty to one count of preparing unsafe food. A second charge of failing to ensure its establishment was properly maintained and clean was taken into consideration.
This charge was for failing to maintain an overhead air-conditioning unit in its cold kitchen at 26 Tai Seng Street.
The court heard that the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) conducted an inspection at the licensed premises after receiving a complaint about gastroenteritis from an event at CHIJMES.
Tung Lok had catered food for the event on Jun 11, 2022.
In a media release on Wednesday, SFA said it and the Ministry of Health had in June 2022 "received reports of gastroenteritis incidents involving 27 individuals" who consumed food at the event.
The inspectors observed staff members at the Tai Seng kitchen preparing ready-to-eat washed salad and sent a sample of it for analysis.
The sample was found to be contaminated with E. coli, which rendered the salad unsafe for consumption, the prosecutor said.
According to SFA's website, E. coli can cause food poisoning.
He sought a fine of S$3,000, noting that the maximum fine was S$5,000 and that the company had a "poor compliance history".
While the company has no similar previous convictions in court, it has previously been issued composition fines.
In mitigation, the company representative said the ready-to-eat salad was obtained from a supplier.
"The supplier has the duty or responsibility to ensure this food is safe and suitable for consumption as well," the representative said through a Mandarin interpreter.
"Nonetheless, the company is admitting to the offence. We know that we also have a duty."
On questioning by the judge, the SFA prosecutor clarified that the charge was not directly linked to the gastroenteritis incident at CHIJMES.
Nevertheless, the inspection was done because of the complaint, and a similar salad was served at the CHIJMES event, the prosecutor said.
The salad at the event cannot be linked to the contaminated salad, however.
For preparing unsafe food, Tung Lok could have been fined up to S$5,000. If they kept offending, they could have faced a further fine of up to S$100 for each day they reoffended post-conviction.
