A brand of haw flakes snack has been voluntarily recalled by its supplier in Singapore after a consumer claimed that she had bitten into a piece of glass while eating it.
Mr Albert Goh, Sinhua Hock Kee Trading's business development and marketing executive, told The Straits Times that it asked supermarket chains to recall Train Brand Haw Flakes on Tuesday after receiving the complaint.
When contacted, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said it has received feedback on this and is investigating.
The affected batch comes in a nine-piece pack and has an expiry date of Dec 31, 2020. The recall will be completed by tomorrow.
Mr Gohsaid the snack is manufactured in China and the firm has not yet received the affected product. "We take food safety seriously. We are curious about how there was glass in the product, as all the equipment used at the factory is made of stainless steel," he said.
He added that the woman, who gave her name as Ms Koh, e-mailed the firm and complained of a sore throat. She said that she bought the product at a Sheng Siong supermarket branch. The firm has offered to foot the bill for any medical check-up she might undergo, said Mr Goh.
A Sheng Siong spokesman said the supplier had brought the issue to its attention and the supermarket had taken the product off its shelves. Customers who bought the product from the batch with the specified expiry date can seek a refund at its stores, she said, adding that the affected customer, Ms Koh, can call the supermarket on 6895-1888 for help.
Separately, AVA said GoPurpose was fined $1,600 yesterday for selling food products labelled with fraudulent expiry dates.
AVA received feedback in June last year that GoPurpose might have sold Chaga Health pre-packed food products beyond their recommended expiry dates.
Investigations revealed that the firm had replaced the original expiry dates on the products with new dates that went beyond the manufacturer's recommended date.
Under the Sale of Food Act (Food Regulations), those found guilty can be fined up to $1,000 for a first conviction, and up to $2,000 for subsequent convictions.
In its statement yesterday, AVA said all pre-packed food products for sale in Singapore must be labelled according to the general labelling requirements of the Singapore Food Regulations.
It added that accurate date-marking of expiry dates for products is important as products past their expiry dates might have deteriorated in quality. "AVA takes a serious view of false and inaccurate labelling of food," it said.
