Tangs Market rat: Food court closed for cleaning, affected diner rejects $200 voucher

Tangs Market is closed for cleaning and sanitisation on Thursday (Nov 30), the retailer said.

A video of a twitching rat on a food tray within the food court's premises went viral this week.

Two prior instances of cleaning by pest control vendors took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, a spokeswoman for CK Tang told The Straits Times.

According to her, the incident happened on last Saturday (Nov 25) afternoon.

"The Singapore Food Authority (SFA) and National Environment Agency (NEA) conducted checks within 72 hours on Nov 27 at 9.55pm and again on Nov 28 at 10am to identify and isolate the issues," she said.

The frequency of pest control checks and servicing at Tangs Market will be doubled going forward, while cleaning and sanitisation of the area will take place more often and be more extensive, she added.

On Tuesday, NEA and SFA said in a joint statement that they will be taking enforcement action against building management for the rat infestation found in ceiling areas, and also take action against five food shops found with hygiene lapses.

Affected diner and her family 'totally appalled'

The rat fell onto the table of a pregnant woman who was having lunch with her family at Tangs Market last Saturday.

According to CNA, the 27-year-old was "traumatised" by this incident as she worried over her baby's health. She visited a hospital's emergency department and had a follow-up appointment with a gynaecologist.

The family also turned down Tangs' offer of a "wellness hamper" and a "$200 gift card".

"For Tangs management to dismiss the incident with a $200 voucher to cover our out of pocket (expenses) and leave days is an insult to us," the woman's mother told CNA.

"Tangs management is telling us we have to pay for their failure to maintain proper food safety in a food court. This is unfair to any layman. We are totally appalled."

ALSO READ: NEA, SFA to take enforcement action after finding rat infestation at Tangs Market's ceiling

khooyihang@asiaone.com