SFA investigating rat sighting at SIT campus foodcourt

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is investigating possible food hygiene lapses at the foodcourt in the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) after a rat was filmed perched on a tablet at the cash register of a stall.

The video, which went viral, was shared on Reddit on Sept 26.

Foodgle, the foodcourt operator, said on Sept 30 in response to The Straits Times’ queries that the sighting occurred at its economy rice stall outside operating hours on Sept 25.

The operator was alerted that night and disinfected the stall at 6.30am the next morning before operations resumed.

The company also said it had increased pest control frequency, deployed additional traps and stepped up internal inspections from twice a month to weekly. No cases of food poisoning have been reported.

According to Foodgle, the foodcourt is surrounded by lush vegetation and wildlife. The foodcourt features at least 13 stalls and is located on the SIT campus in Punggol.

It said the environmental conditions were “challenging” and that the operator had implemented strict preventive pest control measures, including daily post-operation checks.

Inspections by the SFA and the National Environment Agency on Sept 26 found all stalls, including the economy rice stall, in good order, Foodgle said.

In a statement on Sept 29, the SFA said it was investigating the incident.

The agency emphasised that food safety is a shared responsibility between regulators and food operators, and encouraged members of the public to report any concerns via its online feedback form.

The SFA added that it takes such incidents seriously, investigates all reports of poor hygiene practices and will not hesitate to take enforcement action where warranted.