Ya Kun refutes online post about pork dish

A Facebook post that was shared widely among users showed a picture of an outlet selling a pork dish in the Philippines, which had shut down last year. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/GREY SEA FALCON

Home-grown food and beverage brand Ya Kun Kaya Toast has debunked a post circulating online that a pork dish is being sold at one of its outlets here.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Ya Kun said that all of its Singapore outlets do not serve any food containing pork or lard. Its kaya jam is also halal-certified.

A Facebook post that was shared widely among users showed a photo of a Ya Kun storefront with a caption that read: "Attention ALL BROTHER AND SISTER. OF ISLAM... KINDLY PLEASE.... TAKE NOTE Ya Kun Kaya Toast HAVE START SELLING PORK MEAL AT THEIR OUTLET."

A sign in front of the outlet said it sells braised pork belly.

The same message was also shared on messaging platform WhatsApp.

However, Ya Kun clarified on Friday that the photo in the post is of an outlet in Robinsons Manila in the Philippines. The outlet had shut last year.

Ya Kun's director of branding and market development, Mr Jesher Loi, said the company received more than 20 phone calls, Facebook messages and comments from customers about the fake viral post since Friday morning.

He said that based on the design of the outlet's signboard, he could immediately tell that this was not from Singapore as none of the outlets here has the words "coffeestall since 1944" on them.

"Then it was just a matter of doing checks with our outlets overseas before we were able to verify that the photo was of our previous Manila outlet," he added.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on December 30, 2018, with the headline Ya Kun refutes online post about pork dish. Subscribe