SINGAPORE - Popular acai store An Acai Affair's Katong outlet has been suspended for two weeks until Feb 24.
In a notice on its website, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said that it was suspending the licence of the food shop at 101 East Coast Road under the Points Demerit System, from Monday (Feb 11) to Feb 24.
An Acai Affair's co-founder Isabel Lee, 23, confirmed the suspension on Tuesday.
NEA's notice said that the licensee of the food shop had accumulated 12 demerit points over the last 12 months and has been fined a total of $800 for two offences of failing to register an assistant.
Each offence carries a penalty of six demerit points.
In its notice, NEA said: "Depending on his past record, a licensee who accumulates 12 or more demerit points during a 12-month period may have his licence suspended for a period of either two or four weeks, or cancelled."
According to NEA's website, all food handlers - those who handle and prepare food and beverages in food retail establishments - have to undergo a food hygiene course and be registered with NEA.
Managers, waiters, cashiers, dishwashers, cleaners and other service staff are generally considered as food handlers only if they are also involved in the handling and preparation of food and beverages.
Ms Lee told The Straits Times that the store was made aware of the infringements and accumulation of demerit points around October last year, and had been appealing against NEA's decision before the Katong outlet was suspended.
In both incidents, NEA officers found that cashiers at the store were not registered as food handlers, she said.
"It is not a food handling or food hygiene issue (which led to the suspension)," Ms Lee said.
She confirmed that the two offences took place within a month of each other. "Five to 10 people were sent for training" after the first incident, Ms Lee added.
According to NEA regulations, all food handlers working in the suspended premises are required to attend and pass the Basic Food Hygiene Course again before they can resume work as food handlers.
The 25 "long-term staff" at An Acai Affair's Katong outlet who have been working at the store for more than six months have begun going for the course since Monday, Ms Lee said.
In an Instagram post on Monday, An Acai Affair announced that its Katong store would be closed for the two-week period for "maintenance and upgrading works".
Ms Lee told ST that they will be conducting renovation works during the two-week suspension.
"We were already planning to complete our renovations, so we thought it was a good time to do so now, instead of doing overnight renovations," she said.
The planned works include repainting the store, touch-ups on the ceiling and countertop, redoing the flooring and a change of furniture, Ms Lee added.
The Katong outlet at 101 East Coast Road is An Acai Affair's flagship store which opened in December 2016. The store has three other outlets in Bugis, Upper Thomson and Jurong East.
It specialises in acai bowls, which contain mashed acai palm fruit with toppings such as granola, fruits and nuts.
"NEA takes a serious view of these offences and would like to remind food operators to observe good food and personal hygiene practices at all times, and to engage only registered food handlers," the agency said in its notice.
"NEA will not hesitate to take firm action against anyone found to be in violation of the Environmental Public Health Act."
Members of the public who come across poor hygiene practices in food establishments can contact NEA's 24-hour contact centre at 1800-CALL-NEA (1800-2255-632).
