Catering company fined S$2,100 after 37 people fell ill at St Luke’s ElderCare centres

SINGAPORE: A catering company was fined 2,100 Singapore dollars (1,582 US dollars) on Wednesday (July 31) for food safety breaches after dozens of people in several care homes fell ill after eating food prepared by a catering company last year.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) received reports of gastroenteritis in 37 people at four St Luke’s ElderCare centres on 18 May 2023. One person was hospitalised but has since been discharged.

As SFA reported in a press release on Friday, 37 people took advantage of the lunches provided by +Robert Catering Services.

The Ministry of Health and the SFA conducted a joint investigation at the premises of +Robert Catering Services in Kaki Bukit on 19 May 2023.

A total of 12 food samples were collected, three of which were found to contain Bacillus cereus bacteria exceeding the regulatory limit.

According to the SFA website, Bacillus cereus is a foodborne bacterium that can be found in soil, vegetation, and the digestive tracts of insects and mammals, causing food poisoning.

Consumption of Bacillus cereus and the toxins it produces leads to a disease called “fried rice syndrome” because the first recognized cases of the disease were associated with fried rice.

The heat of cooking encourages bacteria to multiply, and leaving food at room temperature allows the bacteria to incubate. Briefly heating food does not kill Bacillus cereus or neutralize the toxins it produces.

The three food samples found to contain excess Bacillus cereus were:

• Fried cabbage with mushrooms, carrots and corn
• Fried cabbage
• Braised tau pok (plump tofu morsels)

The SFA said food safety was “a shared responsibility as food can become contaminated at any point in the food chain”.

“While the SFA continues to remain vigilant and works to ensure regulatory measures are implemented and properly enforced, the industry and consumers must also play their part.”

People who encounter cases of improper application of food safety rules in catering establishments are advised not to use such services.

“Catering establishments should ensure that their premises are clean and well maintained, and comply with appropriate food hygiene and safety requirements,” the SFA added.

“The SFA will take enforcement action against food operators who fail to comply with food safety regulations.”

If found guilty, perpetrators can be sentenced to up to 12 months in prison, a fine of up to Singapore dollars 10,000, or both.