SINGAPORE - Supermarket chain FairPrice said that it has not received any feedback from customers about sharp objects being found in the snake fruit sold at its stores, after a customer claimed there was a needle in a packet bought from an outlet in Jurong East.
Facebook user Soh Chongleng posted about the incident on Monday (Jan 7) and shared a photo of a silver needle-like object on a peeled snake fruit.
He said that he had bought a packet of the fruit from FairPrice Xtra in Jurong East and noticed the sharp object just before he ate it. His post has since been removed.
In a statement on Wednesday, a FairPrice spokesman invited Mr Soh to contact the chain to provide more information for investigations.
"FairPrice takes product safety and quality issues very seriously," the spokesman said, adding that "we have also not received any similar feedback from customers for this product".
The spokesman also advised the public against circulating unverified information that may cause unnecessary public alarm.
Snake fruit, also known as salak, is native to the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra, though it is now being cultivated in other parts of South-east Asia.
FairPrice said that customers may contact its hotline on 6552-2722 or e-mail general.feedback@fairprice.com.sg if they require assistance.
Needles have reportedly been found in other fruits sold elsewhere.
On Jan 1, a Melbourne couple found two needles in grapes they bought from Australian supermarket Woolsworths, reported local media outlets. The police confirmed that they were investigating the incident.
There was a nationwide panic in Australia late last year, after sewing needles were found hidden in hundreds of locally grown strawberries.
Supermarkets were forced to pull boxes from shelves across Australia and New Zealand, and farmers had to dump their crops.
My Ut Trinh, a 50-year-old former farm supervisor who worked at a strawberry farm where the tampered produce was grown, was charged with seven counts of contaminating goods by Queensland state police in November.
