Jun 1, 2016 2:44pm
BY NOOR ASHIKIN ABDUL RAHMAN (TNP)
On Monday (May 30) and Tuesday (May 31), a Facebook user, Sun Yuming, made multiple posts of a minute-long video of a rat nestled among several loaves of bread on a shelf in the supermarket.
The rat is seen running away, crawling over other loaves of bread before scurrying away towards the aisle near the vegetables section.
Mr Sun also posted photos of bread loaves with packaging that had been gnawed at.
He claims that the outlet’s supervisor, Jin Kai, was informed about the problem. However, according to Mr Sun, all the supervisor said was: “There’s rats and you want me to catch?”
It was unclear if Mr Sun himself was the one who brought up the matter.
One of his posts has been shared over 1,600 times as of Wednesday (June 1) 4pm.
When contacted, a FairPrice spokesman told The New Paper that the rat had been caught on May 28, two days before the video was posted online.
The spokesman said the online post about pests at the Kang Kar Mall branch had first been posted in February and again on May 30.
The supermarket has stepped up anti-pest measures at the outlet.
“Our contracted pest control specialists have since stepped-up its efforts at the branch,” the spokesman said.
She added that pest-control specialists hired by FairPrice visited the store four times in February and several more times in the months after that.
“In May alone, they have visited the store another five times. The store has also disposed all products that may have been compromised by the pest and sanitised the area thoroughly.”
The spokesman stressed that the supermarket chain’s contracted pest control specialists “provide regular checks, identifying potential issues such as rodent entry points, and work with (their) maintenance teams to address these areas”.
These specialists visit the stores at least once a month.
She added: “Our store operating procedures also include strict housekeeping guidelines that stores must adhere to.”
The spokesman added that one of the challenges the store faces is when pest occurrence stem from “external sources”.
“As such, we also ensure that the specialists are contracted to provide consultation and liaison services with external parties such as Town Councils and Building Management to collaboratively work our solutions.
“As a responsible retailer, food safety and hygiene is of paramount concern to FairPrice and we spare no effort in ensuring we maintain a clean environment while providing wholesome food to our customers.”
- See more at: http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore-news/rats-pest-problem-hits-fairprice-outlet-hougang#sthash.xMxwnlcZ.dpuf