AVA orders recall of confectionery products

QX179R SG

AVA orders recall of confectionery products manufactured by Bedok factory

SINGAPORE : The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) has ordered the recall of confectionery products manufactured by "The Royals (Premium Cakes) Pte Ltd" at Bedok from its retail outlets "The Royal Premium Cakes & Pies".

It said this is due to a chemical contamination, suspected to be a bleaching agent, during production at the factory on Sunday.

The factory's operations have been suspended.

As a precautionary measure, anyone who has purchased products from any of the six retail outlets are advised to discard them.

Those who have consumed the affected products and feel unwell or suffer from nausea should consult a doctor.

The police and AVA are investigating.

- CNA/ms

QX179R SG

AVA takes samples from Royals Premium Cakes for analysis

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority or AVA, says it has taken samples of pie filings, sugar syrup as well as frozen pies and cakes from the Royals Premium Cakes factory for laboratory analysis.

The factory in Bedok, it says, will remain suspended pending investigations.

AVA said food safety is its primary concern.

It will only lift the suspension when it’s sure that the food is safe to eat.

But the AVA adds that it has not received any complaints from people falling ill from taking the contaminated products.

Yesterday, it instructed the recall of confectionery products manufactured by The Royals Premium Cakes from its six outlets due to the chemical contamination.

The contaminant is suspected to be a bleaching agent at the factory during production.

--938Live

QX179R SG

Sabotage at Royals Premium Cakes?

Sabotage may have taken place at The Royals Premium Cakes factory in Bedok.

This was what its Director Joy Tang, claimed could have happened after a chemical contaminant believed to be a bleaching agent was discovered in one of the ingredients yesterday (31/05).

938LIVE visited the factory this afternoon and filed this report.

It was business as usual on Sunday morning.

The staff of The Royals Premium Cakes were about to make pies to be sold the next day, when they noticed something unusual.

Ms Tang described what happened.

"At about 11.30, they began to use one particular of ingredients for chicken mushroom pies. When they opened up the ingredients, they realised that there was a very strong smell of bleach in the ingredients. And then when I went to check I was very sure it was bleach, but it's still under the AVA to check whether it is. So immediately I realised it would be a deliberate sabotage so we called in the police immediately."

Ms Tang claimed that the suspected sabotage could have taken place between Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

But fortunately the products sold at its five outlets were not affected.

"In fact, the contaminant was discovered before it can be used in the production. Also on top of that, whatever we produced yesterday was meant for Monday. So whatever we sold at our outlets, none of the contaminant has gone into the products because it was made on Saturday."

The factory will remain suspended pending investigations by the Police and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority or AVA.

AVA said it had taken samples of pies, cakes and other ingredients for laboratory analysis.

It will only lift the suspension when it’s sure that the food is safe to eat.

The company is currently conducting a thorough cleaning of the factory under the supervision of AVA.

Ms Tang has promised compensation for customers who become unwell after eating the products, although no complaints had been received so far.

She will also refund customers who had bought the products if they wish to do so.

Customers can call its hotline number at 6444 2262.

--938Live

QX179R SG

5 workers further questioned by Police: Royals Premium Cakes' Director

Royals Premium Cakes says five of its employees are being questioned further by police.

It comes after an alleged sabotage happened at its Factory in Bedok on Sunday.

The company's Director, Joy Tang, revealed this in an interview with 938LIVE.

"Now they (the police) are doing the third round of questioning. First round was for all of our employees. Second round was done yesterday, they (the police) choose from them (the employees) five. They (the police) tried to gather some forensic information from the five suspects. Today, the same five will be going over also."

Ms Tang says the company hasn't decided on measures to prevent a similar incident.

"I'm discussing it with AVA this afternoon about some measures. So until the measures are confirmed then I'll be able to announce what we're going to do. So that at least, even the culprit is not found, what are the measures we're going to put in before the production start. So that it will not happen again. So, I will confirm with AVA how to do it, you know, regarding the manpower."

Ms Tang adds that the company is currently doing a final cleaning to sanitise the factory.

A chemical contaminant believed to be a bleaching agent was discovered in some of the ingredients.

The factory will remain suspended pending investigations by the police and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.

When asked for more details, the police say that investigations are on-going.

AVA on its part says its still in the process of running tests.

It adds that it has not received any complaints from people falling ill from taking the contaminated products.

--938Live

8008s SG

pity the cake shop.....

QX179R SG

The Royals (Premium Cakes) gets ok to resume operations

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority or AVA has completed its investigation on the contamination incident at the factory of The Royals (Premium Cakes).

It says apart from chlorine in the contaminated products including chicken pie filling, no other hazardous chemicals were detected by the laboratory tests.

The contaminated ingredients had not been used in production as the factory staff had been quick in detecting the contamination.

The confectionery has also destroyed all its existing stocks of the products, and thoroughly cleaned up the factory during the closure.

With that, The Royals (Premium Cakes) can resume operations from today.

It's Director, Joy Tang, says the company will apply some new measures to prevent a similar incident.

"The most important thing is that now CCTV is up. Number two is the staff that have been implicated in the case, we put them away from production for the time being until the suspect has been found. On top of that, we have locked up our chemicals with a strict control of who draw the chemicals and for what purpose, everything is recorded. We will also check the staff even more thoroughly before they enter the premise as well as after they leave the production. So these (measures) would tighten our own vigilance on the matter."

When asked for more details about the employees who were questioned by the Police, Ms Tang declined comment.

She had earlier claimed that the incident last Sunday was due to sabotage.

Police say their investigations are on going.

--938Live

lianamaster SG

Who's not happy over there ah?