SINGAPORE – Mr Muhammad Haiqal was about to dip a biscuit into a cup of hot tea on the morning of Feb 9 when he saw traces of a dead bug on the biscuit.

He quickly threw away the packet of Hup Seng cream crackers he had bought from a minimart in Sengkang a week earlier, he said.

In a Facebook post that day, Mr Muhammad, 30, said: “At first, I thought it was ink or something, but I checked it more closely and saw what looked like a cockroach already dried up and flat as paper.”

“What I normally eat for breakfast every day has become something I will never eat forever.”

In the photos that accompany his post, the cracker appears to contain the legs and part of the thorax of a bug. The expiry date printed on the biscuit pack is Dec 12, 2023.

The Straits Times has contacted Hup Seng for comment.

The Malaysia-based maker of biscuits, cream crackers and other snacks is a household name in Singapore. 

In response to queries, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said it is investigating the matter. It added that food manufacturers must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices.

An SFA spokesman said: “Members of the public who come across any potentially errant food operator should report to SFA via the online feedback form at www.sfa.gov.sg/feedback.”

On Feb 8, a woman found a parasitic worm in her sashimi rice bowl bought from popular Japanese speciality chain Don Don Donki.

Videos and pictures she put up on Facebook show a thin transparent worm curled up on a slice of fish that appears to be tuna.

In its response, Don Don Donki said it is not uncommon to find parasites in wild-caught fresh fish and seafood. It added that despite its best efforts to remove such parasites, it may not always be possible to do so entirely if they are deeply embedded in the flesh of the fish.