In a bizarre and unsettling incident reported on Instagram (@sgfollowsall) on November 16, a teacher in Singapore shared a harrowing experience involving an unexpected protein discovery in her food – a lizard found in a Sunshine bread product.
The anonymous teacher recounted the shocking incident through an Instagram Story, revealing that her colleague had discovered a dead lizard halfway through consuming the Enriched Butter Sugar Wholemeal bun. Adding an unsettling twist, the teacher had unknowingly bitten into the lizard’s tail before realizing the grim reality.
The implicated bread product was identified as an Enriched Butter Sugar Wholemeal bun through careful examination of the packaging and color. This revelation raised concerns about the food safety and quality standards in place during the production and packaging processes.
Accompanying the account was a disturbing image of the half-eaten bun with the lizard visibly squashed against it. This visual representation sparked speculation about potential entry points for foreign objects during the bread’s production or packaging, further intensifying worries about the overall safety of the food.
The unintentional consumption of the lizard’s tail evoked immediate disgust and shock, highlighting the profound impact such incidents can have on an individual’s perception of a food brand. The teacher, traumatized by the experience, expressed her commitment to never purchasing Sunshine bread again.
Sunshine Bakeries respond
We understand there are posts on social media about one of our products.
Here is what happened: on 3 November 2023, one of our retailers in Singapore informed us that a consumer had returned our product allegedly containing the remains of a pest. We understand that our retailer has provided a full refund of the product to the consumer. Unfortunately, the contact details of the consumer were not obtained by our retailer. We have also tried to reach out directly to those who posted on social media but the consumer has not responded to us directly yet.
Upon being alerted by our retailer, we immediately retrieved the product on the same day and followed our food security protocol by sending the product for investigations, both internally and externally — samples were sent to an independent testing and investigative facility.
The independent third-party investigation report confirms our internal investigation: – The sample was checked under microscope, and confirmed as consisting a mixture of flour with water and yeast. – No insect or pest carcass was found inside the samples. – Considering the texture and the smell, the samples were a residue of bread dough.
Our factory holds FSSC 22000, HACCP, ISO 9001, and halal certifications, ensuring high standards in food safety and quality management. Our top priority is the safety and satisfaction of our consumers and we take any consumer complaint very seriously. We apologise for any inadvertent inconvenience and worry caused to the consumer.
We remain committed to the highest standard of food safety and processes. We thank you for your continued support towards Sunshine Bakeries.
From,
Sunshine Bakeries