While shopping at Orchard Central on Sunday (July 14) afternoon, a woman spotted what she thought was an ornament on an empty dining table.
When he looked closer, he realized, to his horror, that it was a rat. And it was very much alive.
The 40-year-old woman surnamed Qiu told Shin Min Daily News that she and her husband saw the rodent. At approximately 1:30 p.m. at the Don Don Donki store, which is located on the basement level. 2 of the shopping center.
Recounting her reaction, she said: “I couldn’t believe it. At first, the rat wasn’t moving so I thought it was just a table decoration. Then I looked closer and realised it was a real rat.”
Qiu said that many passersby also He stopped to look at the rodent, which was barely moving around the table.
He then informed an employee of the Japanese supermarket chain about the rat and left about 10 minutes later.
When he passed by that area again more than 30 minutes later, the rat had disappeared and there were diners eating at that table.
“I think the mall or supermarket should check where exactly the rat came from,” he said.
A supermarket employee confirmed the incident to a Shin Min reporter who visited that afternoon. “A customer said the rat fell from the ceiling. We then cleaned the table and disinfected it thoroughly.”
Responding to queries from AsiaOne, Deborah Tan, group director of retail business at Far East Organization, which owns Orchard Central, told AsiaOne that the mall was notified about the rodent sighting in a rented area on basement level 2 at 2.20pm on Sunday.
“Immediate steps were taken to ensure the affected area was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected,” he added. “We will continue to work closely with all tenants of the mall to reinforce the importance of concerted effort and regular pest control.”
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) also told AsiaOne that they are investigating the matter.
He noted that food safety is a joint responsibility and food operators must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices and must also ensure that their facilities are clean and well maintained.
Members of the public who spot potentially erroneous food operators should report them to the SFA via the online feedback form.
The agency added that it takes a serious view of food safety and will investigate all comments alleging poor food safety practices.
The SFA may contact the feedback provider for further details and will not hesitate to take enforcement action if sufficient evidence has been obtained.
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