When I Was Young

I REFER to the report, "Singapore ready to tackle swine flu" (my paper, April 28).

The World Health Organization has described the swine-flu outbreak as "a public-health emergency of international concern".

It is a stark reminder of the Sars epidemic in 2003.

A pandemic on top of the global recession would batter the Singapore economy and lead to even more unemployment.

The Government has a duty to educate Singaporeans on tackling disease threats.

We must never be complacent, especially with respiratory diseases such as human flu, Sars, bird flu, swine flu and tuberculosis.

A normal person can survive without food or water for some time. But if he cannot breathe because his lungs are infected, he will die.

While many know that washing one's hands and not coughing openly are good hygiene habits, few pause to think about the consequences of sharing food, when individuals use their utensils to eat from common dishes.

A 1994 Ministry of Health (MOH) publication confirmed that through sharing food, "we are likely to share saliva as well, (along) with any bacteria or viruses (that are) in it".

Saliva can transmit many micro-organisms.

Among them are the viruses that cause hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), human flu, Sars, bird flu and swine flu, and those that are linked to liver cancer (hepatitis B virus) and nose cancer (Epstein-Barr virus).

The micro-organisms also include bacteria that cause tuberculosis and meningitis, and a bacterium that is linked to stomach cancer (Helicobacter pylori).

Few Singaporeans know that adults can also contract HFMD through close contact or the sharing of food.

The disease is then passed on to their children in the same manner.

Health risks aside, stop and think: How can you possibly enjoy your food when it contains others' saliva?

The MOH publication also had a simple recommendation: It suggested that serving spoons, separate soup bowls and sauce dishes be used both at home and in public eating places.

Regrettably, this important piece of public-health advice was never widely publicised.

Thus, many Singaporeans remain unaware of the health risks of sharing food.

A 2004 report in The Straits Times quoted Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan as saying: "There is nothing wrong with communal eating... But I think we can make it hygienic just by using serving spoons."

For years, Chinese restaurants in Australia have been routinely providing customers with serving spoons.

This is not so with most restaurants here, where it is a constant hassle to ask waiters to provide serving spoons for each dish.

These actions are urgently needed:

Public campaign

The Health Promotion Board should mount an "Eat the Hygienic Way" campaign to inform Singaporeans about hygienic eating habits, such as using serving spoons, to complement its "Eat the Healthy Way" campaign.

Make serving spoons compulsory

The National Environment Agency could issue a compulsory directive to hawkers and restaurants, requesting that they provide serving spoons to customers.

Mr See Leong Kit

From myPaper, My Say – Wednesday, 29-April-2009

Letter from Paul Antony Fernandez

I REFER to the recent debate about hygiene standards at hawker stalls.

It is indeed good to note that the National Environment Agency (NEA) will intensify its efforts in educating hawkers on the importance of safe hygiene practices.

May I also seek the assistance of NEA in ensuring that safe hygiene habits are also practised by another group of people handling food in public places: cleaning contractors.

Often, cleaning contracts are awarded to contractors with the lowest bids and there is a monopoly of such services regardless of their track record in adopting cleanliness. When you visit a hawker centre or an established food outlet, you often notice that the leftover food is not cleared immediately. The most common reason cited is a lack of manpower.

This problem can be overcome by paying the cleaners sustainable salaries, which in turn will entice others to join the workforce.

Another unsightly practice is that cleaners often use the same old dirty cloth to wipe tables, dipping them into the same bucket of dirty water over and over.

It doesn't stop there: These cleaners also have the habit of wiping food off the tables and on to the floor.

Perhaps NEA officers, during their enforcement rounds, should also observe the assigned cleaners and when a violation is detected, not just reprimand the cleaners but take action against their employers for failing to inculcate safe hygiene practices among their cleaners.

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 24-April-2009

Letter from S Satish Appoo

Director, Environmental Health Department, National Environment Agency (NEA)

We refer to the letter “Flies make home in our eateries” (April 10).

Our investigations confirmed the presence of flies in the refreshment area of the foodshop at Sembawang Drive. The foodshop management has mobilised its pest control operator to locate and eradicate the fly-breeding sources. Our field officers have also extended their checks to the surrounding areas. The foodshop operator will face enforcement action should breeding be found in his premises.

During our inspection, food for sale was found to be properly covered. We have reminded the operator of his responsibility to ensure that crockery and cutlery are properly covered, and refuse properly bagged and disposed of.

We thank your reader for the feedback.

From WEEKEND TODAY, Voices – 18, 19-April-2009

NEA ON HAWKER CENTRE HYGIENE

Letter from Andrew Tan

Chief Executive Officer, National Environment Agency

I THANK all letter-writers and journalists of Today who have commented on the importance of maintaining high standards of public hygiene in our hawker centres following the severe incident of food poisoning traced to a stall at the Geylang Serai Temporary Market.

We at NEA are deeply saddened by this episode that is linked to more than 150 people falling ill, many acutely, with two losing their lives. Our hearts are with the affected people and the grieving families to whom we have extended our deepest condolences. The outpouring of concern rightfully shows the widespread sympathy we share for them as well as the high standards expected of our markets and food centres.

Maintaining Hygiene Standards

NEA has the overall responsibility for ensuring high standards of public health and hygiene in Singapore. We would like to assure the public that NEA will strive to uphold these high standards.

The current system for upholding public hygiene comprising legislation, surveillance, enforcement and public education has served us well. The number of food poisoning cases in Singapore is very low. Over the last three years, there has been an average of only four food poisoning incidents a year, even though we have 5,600 hawker stalls across 106 hawker centres.

Grading of Stalls

The grading scheme, introduced in 1997, was intended to motivate licensees to improve on their personal and food hygiene and upkeep of their premises. All stalls that are graded and allowed to operate meet the basic hygiene requirements. The grading scheme sought to differentiate and recognise those who made greater efforts to improve and sustain the cleanliness and hygiene of their operations. By making the grades public, it was hoped that consumers’ choice could also lend pressure to encourage hawkers to strive for higher standards.

NEA, on its part, also actively worked with stallholders to encourage them to improve, by paying more attention to those with lower grades. NEA facilitates upgrading courses so that food handlers gain the knowledge to raise standards.

Food stalls in hawker centres that are graded A and B are inspected every eight weeks, while stalls graded C and D are inspected more frequently — every six weeks. NEA uses a point demerit system to penalise foodhandlers for any lapses in maintaining good personal and food hygiene. When a food handler accumulates 12 demerit points in a year, his licence will be suspended for two weeks. This is how NEA keeps unhygienic stalls from operating.

This regime has led to a significant improvement in food hygiene levels in Singapore. Over the years, the proportion of Grade A and B stalls has increased from 46 per cent in 2002 to 86 per cent last year. The remaining 14 per cent of stalls are graded C and they meet hygiene requirements.

The grading and point demerit system, together with a regime of regular inspections, have helped to keep food poisoning incidence low. Notwithstanding, food poisoning incidents can occur in any food establishment, regardless of its grading, if there are lapses in personal hygiene.

Overall hygiene standards at hawker centres have also improved through the Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme. Since 2001, a total of 72 centres have been upgraded with better facilities and toilets, among other improvements. The remaining 30 or so centres will be upgraded by 2012.

Cleanliness of Geylang Serai Temporary Market

When markets and hawker centres are being upgraded, grassroot organisations and their advisers can choose to have a temporary market which is not provided for under the government’s Hawker Centre Upgrading Programme (HUP). If so, they also carry the responsibility of keeping the temporary market clean to meet NEA standards. However, NEA will intervene if it assesses the need to do so in the interest of public health.

In the case of Geylang Serai Market, the Kampong Ubi CCC decided to build and manage the temporary market. Despite the best of efforts put in by the Temporary Market Management Committee in implementing its cleaning regime and in tackling the rat infestation problem, the problem persisted. NEA should have moved in firmly earlier to address this problem. Sustained efforts with NEA’s assistance and enforcement have now led to a marked improvement. NEA will continue to require the Management Committee to sustain ongoing cleaning and pest control efforts.

Greater Vigilance

Going forward, NEA will step up its vigilance and enforce higher standards of public hygiene on all food outlets. NEA will also conduct more refresher training on food and personal hygiene for stallholders and food handlers. We will further tighten up our own procedures to ensure the timely issuing and display of up-to-date grading labels.

To impress on the need for good hygiene practices by all and enhance understanding of the overall system, NEA will step up engagement of market managements and operators of food establishments, Public awareness efforts so as to also involve consumers in maintaining high levels of public hygiene at all times are also being looked into.

NEA will further improve on the current system, taking into account the useful feedback and suggestions thus far. We thank everyone for the valuable feedback and suggestions. We continue to welcome views at contact_NEA@nea.gov.sg and 1800-CALL-NEA (1800-2255 632).

From WEEKEND TODAY, Voices – 18, 19-April-2009

BUDGET TAI-TAI
I’ve learnt my lesson: Home is where the safe food is

HONG Kong starlet Ella Koon was recently nicknamed “hell’s chef” after the dishes she whipped up in celebrity food show Beautiful Cooking caused the guest judges to throw up. Later, when challenged to defend her lack of culinary success, she retorted: “Living in Hong Kong, eating out is never a problem, is it?”

Yes, living in Hong Kong — or for that matter, most parts of Asia — eating out is never a problem. Walk onto a street and you’ll be sure to see a hawker stall around one corner or a restaurant around another.

There’s no call to have to cook at all. Why should you when there are others who can conjure up something far tastier than any of your humble efforts for just a dollar or two more than the cost of the ingredients themselves?

That’s probably why Hong Kong kitchens are so tiny. Mine has just enough space for a sink, fridge and two-burner cooker. The toaster has to be stacked on top of the microwave oven and my Kenwood mixer has been banished to the dining room.

Recently, after I posted some food photos on Facebook, my friends from Europe remarked: “You guys seem to eat out a lot, huh?” What was perfectly normal to me was strange to them.

For them, “outside food” (whether dining out or getting a Chinese takeaway) is so expensive that every meal not cooked at home is an occasion. They thought we are extremely wealthy to be able to do that every day.

When I was working in Singapore, we’d eat out or pack food home every weekday. After all, the coffeeshop was just around the corner and by the time I reached home at 7.30pm, I was just too tired to chop, slice, fry and clean up afterwards.

But now I am thinking of heading back to the kitchen again. The catalyst has been my back-to-back bouts of stomach flu — most likely triggered, according to my doctor, by bacteria in some food I’d eaten.

I’m not talking days. My two episodes lasted two weeks each with a gap of only a week between. One was caused by undercooked chicken rice and the other by some dodgy curry rice.

I had them for dinner at different “dai pai dongs” (coffeeshops) in different areas but the result was the same: Diarrhoea, a stomach ache and vomiting so bad that I had to live on plain porridge, crackers and Pocari Sweat for days on end.

“This would never have happened to me in Singapore, where the food is so clean,” I remember telling my husband.

Famous last words, of course, seeing as a few days later, the Indian rojak food poisoning broke out, killing two people and causing one woman to suffer a miscarriage. It was almost unheard of. Yes, you knew that bad food could cause you great discomfort but for it to kill...

And then, just this weekend, another dozen people or so came down with food poisoning from eating steamboat. What is going on? You hear of such things happening elsewhere, but not in Singapore.

That’s why I think our mothers were right. Home-cooked food is the best. You know where it has come from and has been prepared.

It’s a pity really that a lot of us have become like Ella Koon. We have become so used to others cooking for us that we don’t even know how to boil an egg.

I know of many working women who wear their lack of culinary skills almost as a badge of pride. They seem to think that they’re so important they’re above such housewifely pursuits.

Why be proud of a lack of ability? I can’t assemble an Ikea bookcase or pilot a plane but you don’t see me crowing about that.

Maybe it’s time we brought back cooking as a skill to be proud of. Maybe we should make home economics compulsory for all — for boys too, because why should they expect others to do for them what they can do themselves?

Then we can stop being so reliant on outside food. And for those who love to boast: “I can’t cook to save my life”, maybe it’s time you learnt. Because one day, it just might save your life.

Tabitha Wang is on the lookout for a good recipe for homemade Indian rojak. Can anyone help?

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 17-April-2009

Letter from M Lukshumayeh

MR SHEIK Allaudin Mohideen has had his licence suspended and will be charged in court. With that, an individual has been held accountable for the food poisoning outbreak at Geylang Serai. What about the rat infestation and the lack of hygiene and cleanliness?

Should not the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the market’s management committee (MC) be held accountable? Surely it must be obvious that if NEA or the MC had undertaken their duties diligently, such a tragedy might not have happened?

It has always been said that not only must justice be done, it must also be seen to be done. In this instance, it makes one wonder if there is true accountability.

From TODAY, Voices – Thursday, 16-April-2009

Letter from Tony Lee

I REFER to “Rojak stall owner to be charged” (April 15).

Is Mr Sheik Allaudin Mohideen solely to be blamed for the tragedy? Judging from the number of rats caught during the big cleanup, the appointed agency maintaining the cleanliness of the eating place should also take responsibility. If the tragedy did not happen, the rats would still be running around.

Is anyone questioning the cleaning agency or the relevant Government agencies tasked to maintain the cleanliness standard of Geylang Serai temporary market?

From TODAY, Voices – Thursday, 16-April-2009

CLEANLINESS STANDARD

Letter from Emerson Hee

Project Executive, Restroom Association (Singapore)

ON APRIL 9, in response to the food poisoning incident at Geylang Serai, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan commented that the current cleanliness standard is unacceptable as compared to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) period in 2003 when the standard was very good. He quoted the example of the Toilet OK campaign launched during the Sars period when the toilets were “OK” but they are no longer so.

Our association concurs strongly with Mr Khaw’s comments especially on the deteriorating standard of public toilets. Riding on the heightened awareness of public hygiene during the Sars period, we launched the Happy Toilet Programme (HTP) in June 2003 to complement the Toilet OK campaign. After about five years, we conducted a survey last year and only 26 per cent of the survey respondents indicated that the toilets are “OK”.

Our survey also revealed that 84 per cent stated that dirty toilets are one of the reasons for not visiting the premises and 70 per cent opined that irresponsible users are the cause of dirty toilets. We will continue to conduct the survey every year to compare and study the data.

With the deteriorating standard of public toilets, we launched the LOO Campaign last year. For the past one year before the launch of the campaign, about 170 toilets had been certified Happy Toilets. Some locations of these Happy Toilets are hawker centres, petrol stations, restaurants, shopping centres, tourist attractions, factories and hospitals. After the launch of the campaign, about 120 toilets have been certified Happy Toilets — including three coffeeshops within walking distance in Woodlands — with about 50 more toilets to be assessed and awarded in the next two months. Locations of these toilets are hawker centres, petrol stations, coffeeshops and shopping centres.

In conjunction with the LOO Campaign, we revamped the HTP grading system to include satisfaction — satisfied toilet visitors — to ensure a pleasant experience for the toilet users.

Therefore, we wish to appeal to the public to support our HTP by opting to only visit Happy Toilets. Though cleanliness of public toilets remain a challenge, public awareness of personal hygiene has been heightened through this food poisoning incident with some demanding clean public toilets not only for themselves but also stallholders preparing the food. Therefore, we strongly urge the public to start practising good toilet etiquette from home to public places so as to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again in the future.

From TODAY, Voices – Thursday, 16-April-2009

NEO CHAI CHIN, chaichin@mediacorp.com.sg

AT MEAL times on a typical day, diners would swoop in on just-vacated seats at Geylang Serai Temporary Market. But it has hardly been business-as-usual, since the mass food poisoning almost two weeks ago.

Business has dropped by over 50 per cent, and yesterday afternoon, about half the food stalls were not even open. Because of bad business, Mr Nur Muhammad said the hawkers might have felt it was “better don’t sell than to sell”. The 27-year-old helps out at his mother’s cooked food and his aunt’s dessert stalls, which were open.

The hawker responsible, Mr Sheikh Allaudin Mohideen, has had his licence suspended and will be taken to court by the authorities. Two people died after eating his rojak and 154 were sickened.

At his Eunos Road 5 flat yesterday, Mr Allaudin, 70, said he could not comment on the charges until he is officially notified. He opened the door to Today with a young boy by his side and only spoke on condition that no photos were taken.

His fellow hawkers have voiced sympathy for him. Some felt that pressing charges against him is too harsh. Others said he should be held responsible for improper handling of food, but not for the deaths.

“I don’t think he intended for all this to happen. It could have happened to any one of us,” said drinks stall assistant Abdul Jaffar, 33.

Sundry goods seller Ong Tiong Gheu, 48, said the confiscation of his hawker’s licence is punishment enough.

But the hawkers are more worried about their own dismal takings. Mr Nur said that his aunt’s chendol stall made slightly more than $200 last weekend, much less than previous takings.

Many are also unhappy with the “C” grade hygiene rating they received last Saturday.

“We cleaned and did housekeeping before the National Environment Agency officers’ checks, but still got a ‘C’. More customers will surely be put off,” said chicken rice stall owner Mr Nor, 45.

From TODAY, News – Thursday, 16-April-2009

I SAY

Not just hygiene, mindsets need an overhaul, too

Liang Dingzi

IN LIGHT of the recent Geylang Serai food poisoning tragedy which has claimed two lives and made more than 150 people ill, I recalled how my colleagues used to joke about favouring one stall over another selling the same fare even though it received a lower grading from the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Somehow, the general consensus was that the food tasted better, and the attitude one of bold defiance against good sense. It is as if food being clean and being tasty are mutually exclusive. Therefore, few people really pay heed to the NEA grading — and hawkers know it.

As Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan noted, labelling would work only if consumers were guided by the hygiene ratings. While he urged stallholders to improve their hygiene levels, customers could play their part by not patronising dirty stalls.

It is regrettable that it has to take a tragedy to drive home a lesson as important as this. But it is never too late to learn. Even more disturbing is Mr Khaw’s rating of Singapore as being close to a “fail” grade on matters of hygiene, compared with the 2003 Sars outbreak. It shows how quickly lessons are forgotten.

Blame it on complacency. Our attitude must change. Errant operators must be made to pay the price, whether through hefty fines, suspension of licences or public shaming, or a combination of measures.

However, too often, ignorance may be the culprit. And all parties — regulator, operators and customers — have a role to play in raising service and hygiene standards in hawker centres here.

To assist the operators and their helpers, the NEA can ensure they are adequately trained in safe food handling practices by arranging the appropriate courses. We have successfully instituted customer service training to raise the service level even at hawker centres as part of the campaign to improve Singapore’s global hospitality rating. Similarly, we can do as well to improve food handling hygiene, especially when the Singapore Tourist Board is marketing Singapore as a gourmet paradise.

Operators and their helpers can present a more professional image. There is no excuse for table cleaners to look unkempt. Some hawker centres have introduced uniforms to enhance their image.

A common sight is uncovered or exposed overflowing garbage bins that invite flies and other insects, as well as birds and rats. This cannot be permitted.

Most stalls do not have the luxury of space. The design could be improved to allow for more storage and work space so that there is clearer segregation between raw materials and cooked food.

While the NEA has done a good job in upgrading many food centres, the basic design of some of them has public toilets — another area of concern mentioned by Mr Khaw — located too near the stalls. They should be tucked away and operators must not use them as a matter of expedience to wash their dishes.

Customers must respect the work the cleaners and operators do. They can also help by not messing up the tables where they eat. By removing used plates, bowls and cutlery to their respective receptacles for disposal, the flies and other scavengers are likely to stay away.

The writer is a management consultant and freelance contributor.

Email your views to voices@mediacorp.com.sg

From TODAY, Voices – Wednesday, 15-April-2009

Albert Centre Temporary Market
Hygiene grades dropped after move; centre gets first spring-cleaning for the year

ESTHER NG
estherng@mediacorp.com.sg

An NEA officer inspecting a stall at Albert Centre Temporary Market yesterday.OOI BOON KEONG

GRADES dropped when hawkers from 270 Queen Street moved further up the road to new premises at the Albert Centre Temporary Market last July.

The 70 dry goods stores, 29 wet market stalls and 73 cooked food stalls had to shift because their previous premises are being upgraded. Some hawkers said that their hygiene rating dropped to C when they moved over.

“We used to be B, but now it’s C. The National Environment Agency (NEA) officer said it is because the place is a temporary market,” said Ms Jamayah Hassan of Indonesia Satay Stall.

Currently, only two of the 73 cooked food stalls are graded A, while four are a B. The remaining 67 hawkers all received Cs. Previously, there were four A-grade stalls, 49 B-grade and 20 C-grade stalls. According to the NEA, the change in grading for some stalls was due to “housekeeping and poorer fittings and fixtures at the temporary premises”.

It explained that the stalls had “to be freshly assessed” when they moved to the temporary location. The NEA gave the stallholders three months to settle in before it conducted the grading exercise. In the case of the cooked food stallholders, the assessment took place on Sept 30 and new decals were given to them on Oct 6.

Yesterday, the centre got its first spring-cleaning for the year. It was a move planned since mid-March, said the centre’s hawker committee chairman Michael Tan.

The committee has also stepped up its cleaning regime since the food poisoning outbreak at Geylang Serai Temporary Market.

“We now clear plates and food debris hourly. We used to do this after busy periods. We’ve also increased the frequency of our cleaning from two to three times a day on top of the end-of-the-day hose down,” said Mr Tan.

A contractor carries out the cleaning of drains, toilets and common areas.

Yesterday, NEA officers were also on hand to inspect the premises. They climbed on chairs to look at the top of cupboards as well as behind them, shining their torches to see better. They also ran their fingers along the sides and under shelves, checking for dirt, grime or vermin.

“We check for chipped crockery, the shelves above the cooking area and whether rubbish is properly disposed of,” said Mr Dennis Tan, one of the officers.

Stall holders told Today that they have no qualms about the extra vigilance.They also said they experienced a slight business dip during the initial reports of the Geylang Serai outbreak, but business has since recovered.

From TODAY, News - Tuesday, 14-April-2009