Singapore: After the Singapore Food Agency ( SFA ) conducted an inspection and discovered dead mice and dirty doors in its main kitchen, Proofer Bakery was fined S$ 3, 000 ( US$ 2, 240 ) by a court on Wednesday ( Dec 6 ) for failing to maintain its premises.
The bakery’s representative, who operates 17 locations throughout Singapore, admitted guilt to one count of violating the Sale of Food ( Non-Retail Food Business ) Regulations by failing to keep a licensed food establishment spotless and properly maintained.
When SFA inspected Proofer’s house at KA Foodlink at 171 Kampong Ampat in the MacPherson place on October 26, 2021, it discovered a significant mosquito infection.
In the meal preparation areas and in two meals delivery trucks, officers discovered life insects, mouse activity, and dead rats.
The cost sheet stated that the dough processing room’s floor and door were filthy, and that a lifeless house mouse was hiding beneath soiled sliding doors.
The icing room’s partitions were scuffed, filthy, soiled, and punctured.
The organic materials store’s floor was likewise filthy, and many trolleys carrying leftover baked goods were discovered.
The kitchen’s air duct was sandy, and its walls and ceiling boards were grimy and filthy. According to the charge sheet, a useless house mouse was discovered imprisoned in the corner of the kitchen, trapped on an adhesive board trap.
A dying house mouse with droppings was at the corner of a cleaning bay, and the sliding doors leading to the compressor and freezer were covered in black dirt.
The SFA prosecutor requested a fine of S$ 3, 000 on Wednesday, citing prior cases that had led to fines ranging from S$ 2, 500 to over S$ 4,000.
He emphasized how severe the company’s breaches were, with “many shortcomings included in the second charge.”
According to the prosecutor, some areas of the certified food establishment were impacted, endangering food safety and maybe having an impact on public health.
The company was “definitely innocent for what happened,” the Proofer member said as a mitigating measure.
” It’s monitoring, bad management, poor housekeeping, and moreover not going through the main kitchen checking process,” he claimed.
” Since then, we have taken action to fix all the problems and have also shut down our main house to ensure that nothing similar ever occurs again.”
The agent continued by saying that Proofer has since ensured that all of its production facilities have a cleansing routine as well as all necessary standards for cleanliness and efficient operations.
From October 2021 to January 2022, SFA halted Proofer Bakery’s food-related activities. Additionally, the shop was instructed to correct the errors and take steps to enhance both its facilities ‘ sanitation and food safety procedures.
On October 26, 2021, SFA likewise ordered the company to recognize its food products from its 16 retail locations.
The suspension was lifted on January 26, 2022.
This was the company’s second offense, the judge claimed, and he took the first guilty plea into account.
Yet, there were significant violations of the property’s cleaning.
The maximum penalty for failing to maintain a registered creation correctly and cleanly is S$ 5, 000. For each day or portion of the crime where the offense continues after faith, a owner may be subject to an additional fine of up to S$ 100.