Food poisoning case: Tung Lok Millennium back in business after 62-day suspension, issued warning

SINGAPORE — The National Environment Agency (NEA) has given a warning to Tung Lok Millennium, more than two months after 190 people fell sick after consuming food catered by the company. Catering operations will resume after its suspension was lifted by the agency on Thursday (Jan 24).

Following joint investigations by the NEA, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), the NEA is “satisfied that the measures required to rectify the lapses detected have been implemented, and operations can be resumed”, the agency in a media release.

With the warning for its “hygiene lapses”, Tung Lok Millennium will be placed “under close surveillance" to ensure that the licensee adheres to what it had submitted in its plans, the NEA said.

In November last year, 190 people fell ill after eating food prepared for the Singapore Civil Defence Force's three-day public exhibition at the Singapore Expo. None of the affected individuals were hospitalised.

As the majority of the cases had recovered by the time MOH was informed of the outbreak, stool samples were not available for analysis to identify the causative agent, the NEA said.

The agency suspended Tung Lok Millennium’s operating licence for 62 days from Nov 23 last year to Jan 24 this year to “protect consumers from public health risks”. 

Several hygiene lapses and poor kitchen habits were identified during the joint investigations:

• Soap was not provided for handwashing in the kitchen

• Improper use of ice dispensing utensil for ready-to-eat ice

• An environment swab taken from the bento-packing table tested positive for Bacillus cereus, a type of bacteria that produces toxins

Tung Lok Millennium had complied with the measures stipulated by NEA during the suspension period, such as disposing all ready-to-eat food, thawed food and perishable food items, cleaning and sanitising the premises including utensils, work surfaces and toilets, the agency said.

The company also submitted plans to ensure that good hygiene standards are observed during food preparation and all food handlers have since re-attended and passed the Basic Food Hygiene training course.

Tung Lok Millennium has also appointed a new food and hygiene officer — who has undergone and passed the Workforce Skills Qualifications Conduct Food and Beverage Hygiene Audit course.

The food poisoning incident involving Tung Lok Millennium was one of four high-profile cases that happened in November and December last year.

Forty-seven people were hospitalised and one person died after consuming food from popular eatery Spize's River Valley outlet between Nov 6 and 9. The outlet was eventually shuttered after its operating licence was terminated by the NEA following investigations which revealed an “unusually severe” outbreak of gastroenteritis from “heavily contaminated” food.

On Nov 26, 131 people — including kindergarten students and teachers — were hit by gastroenteritis after consuming food prepared by FoodTalks Caterer and Manufacturer for a pre-school camp.

High-end hotel Mandarin Orchard Singapore was forced to suspend its operations at its Grand Ballroom from Dec 5 after 315 people developed symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting, and 14 were hospitalised.