According to the Straits Times, Tuk Tuk Cha, a well-known Thai cafe located in Jurong West, has been ordered to suspend its operations for a period of two weeks, starting from April 2 until April 15.
This decision comes after the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) found evidence of a cockroach infestation on the eatery’s premises.
12 demerit points in past 12 months
The halal-certified establishment was fined $800 for two offenses related to maintaining a clean and hygienic environment, free of infestations. The SFA confirmed that the infestation involved cockroaches.
Tuk Tuk Cha’s Jurong Point outlet has incurred a total of 12 demerit points within the past 12 months, resulting in this suspension.
The SFA has clarified that if a licensee accumulates 12 or more demerit points within a year, they may face a license suspension for two or four weeks or even cancellation.
As part of the corrective measures, all food handlers employed at the suspended premises must re-attend and pass the Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Food Safety Course Level 1 before resuming their duties. Additionally, food hygiene officers, if present, must re-attend and pass the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 3.
Important to maintain good food and personal hygiene practices
SFA emphasizes the importance of maintaining good food and personal hygiene practices and encourages food operators to engage only registered food handlers.
Failure to comply with the Environmental Public Health Act may result in strict action from the SFA.
If you encounter poor food safety practices in any eatery, the SFA encourages you to refrain from patronizing those outlets and to provide feedback through the online feedback form or by contacting the SFA Contact Centre at 6805-2871 for further investigations.
It is worth noting that Tuk Tuk Cha’s Nex outlet in Serangoon Central also faced a two-week suspension between November 2020 and December 2020.
The outlet had accumulated 18 demerit points over a year and was fined $1,200 for three offenses related to infestations.