SINGAPORE - The Chinese restaurant where a rat carcass was found in a vegetable dish had its licence suspension lifted on Tuesday.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement that its latest inspection of the Hotpot Culture Restaurant at Marina Square Shopping Mall found it to be clean with no signs of rat activity.

It also said that it has applied for a court summons against the restaurant's licensee for the sale of food which is unfit for human consumption.

If convicted, the licensee can be fined up to $10,000 and issued with six demerit points.

As of Monday, the NEA had conducted seven rounds of inspections at the eatery and at least three at Marina Square Shopping Mall and other food outlets there.

Hotpot Culture's operations were first suspended on Jan 9 after a customer posted a photo of a rat carcass in one of its dishes online.

In Tuesday's statement, the NEA said: "We have assessed that the premises have been adequately spruced up and measures put in place to prevent a recurrence of the incident."

The licensee of Hotpot Culture Restaurants and the Marina Square Shopping Mall management must continue weekly pest control treatment and submit all pest control reports to the NEA over the next three months.

The authority said it will continue to monitor pest control treatment and hygiene practices at the premises. It is also working with the management of Marina Square Shopping Mall to extend stepped-up measures.