SINGAPORE – A haw snack has been voluntarily recalled by its supplier here 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 has asked supermarket chains to recall Train Brand Haw Flakes on Tuesday (Feb 19) 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 Friday.

Mr Goh, 38, said 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 stainless steel,” he said.

He added that the woman, who goes by Ms Koh, e-mailed the firm and complained of a sore throat.

She said she bought the affected product at a Sheng Siong branch, Mr Goh said.

The firm has offered to foot the bill for any medical check-up Ms Koh might undergo.

A Sheng Siong spokesman said the supplier had brought the issue to its attention, and that the supermarket had taken the product off its shelves.

“Customers who have bought the product in this expiry batch can seek for refund at our stores,” she said.

The spokesman also said that the affected customer should contact the supermarket at its mainline, 6895-1888.

“We would like to provide the customer with further assistance,” she added.

Separately, AVA said GoPurpose Inc was fined $1,600 on Wednesday for selling food products that had been 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 for subsequent convictions up to $2,000.

In its statement on Wednesday, AVA said all pre-packed food products for sale here 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 after their expiry dates might have deteriorated in quality.

“AVA takes a serious view of false and inaccurate labelling of food,” it said.

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