Two Singapore restaurants suspended by NEA for poor hygiene practices

Two restaurants, including food chain JustAcia at Dhoby Ghaut Xchange, have been given suspension notices for poor hygiene practices, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Friday (12 January).

Both were given suspensions, which start from Saturday and end two weeks later on 26 January, for violations under the NEA’s Points Demerit System.

According to the NEA, a licensee who accumulates 12 or more demerit points during a 12-month period may have his licence suspended for a period of either two or four weeks, or cancelled.

JustAcia, which sells mainly Asian fare, occupies nine units within the retail space located above Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station (#B1-13/17/32/33/45/46/47/49/50). It also has other outlets at Marina Square and Sembawang Shopping Centre.

The restaurant had accumulated 12 demerit points over the last 12 months and was fined a total of $800 for selling unclean food.

In a Facebook post uploaded on its page, the restaurant wrote that it will be closed for “maintenance” work during the suspension period and called for customers to visit their other two outlets.

Meanwhile, Mohammadi Restaurant at 5/7 Lembu Road in Little India, similarly accumulated 12 demerit points over the past year for failing to register an assistant and handling food with bare hands. The restaurant has been fined a total of $800 as well.

This is not its first suspension notice. The Bangladeshi restaurant was suspended in 2014 for two weeks and fined a total of $900. The suspension was meted out for various offences ranging from failing to maintain sanitary fittings, stacking up crockery that resulted in contaminated food and selling food outside its establishment.

All food handlers working in the suspended premises will also be required to attend and pass the Basic Food Hygiene Course again before they can resume work, added the NEA.

Yahoo News Singapore has reached out to JustAcia and Mohammadi Restaurant for comment.