Fishing scam? Woman finds lead weights inside pomfret from Chinatown market while preparing CNY lunch

When it comes to food, extra ingredients are usually a pleasant surprise, but not for one woman who found some potentially harmful items inside a fish she purchased. 

The woman's son, who goes by the username Sarpysarpy, took to Reddit to share the peculiar find last Saturday (Jan 21). 

"Mum bought this pomfret in Chinatown and [was] preparing it for CNY lunch tomorrow. Was clearing the fish stomach and these dropped out," the Redditor wrote. 

Sarpysarpy described the foreign objects as "metallic and pretty heavy", and guessed that they were lead weights commonly used by anglers.  

"Wondering if the fish are still safe for consumption," he added. 

Within four days, Sarpysarpy's post garnered more than 100 comments from other Redditors. 

Some shared that lead weights are sometimes used by dishonest fishmongers or fishermen to increase the weight of the fish so as to charge customers a higher price. 

Others pointed out that the weights might be made of lead, and urged Sarpysarpy not to consume the fish and report the matter to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

According to Wikipedia, the weights, known as fishing sinkers, are typically used with a fishing lure or hook to increase its anchoring ability. 

One of the most popular materials for fishing sinkers is lead, due to its low cost and ease of production. Unfortunately, lead is also a toxin which can damage one's organs if ingested or inhaled. 

AsiaOne has reached out to Sarpysarpy and SFA for comment. 

Fish hook in fish soup 

In August last year, a woman found a fish hook in her bowl of fish soup which she purchased from Jun Yuan House of Fish at Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre. 

When she approached the stall assistant to inform them about the foreign object in her food, the latter allegedly "just said sorry and continued to serve other customers", reported Stomp. 

"After a while, I returned to the stall and talked to all the three staff members including the chef. I said I treated this as a very dangerous incident. I was just lucky as I chewed slowly. If not, I would now be in the hospital already. 

"The chef didn't think it was his fault as the ingredients were from the supplier."

The woman eventually lodged a complaint with SFA. 

ALSO READ: 'It's none of our business': KL restaurant boss tells diner who found fishing hook in fish head curry

claudiatan@asiaone.com

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