SINGAPORE – Sakura Buffet, a food supplier for several web-based catering services, has had its license revoked by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) due to severe food safety violations. In a press release on Saturday (May 11), SFA detailed the decision, which aims to safeguard consumers from potential health risks.
The issue came to light in late March 2024 when SFA received reports concerning home-delivery meals provided by five online businesses. Complaints included undercooked or mouldy food and the presence of foreign objects like hair and insects. Investigations revealed that these meals were sourced from Sakura Buffet, a licensed catering service. Subsequent inquiries linked seven additional web-based businesses to the same supplier.
Inspections conducted by SFA at Sakura Buffet’s Geylang Bahru premises between March and May uncovered numerous safety breaches. These included unsanitary conditions and falsified time-stamping on packaged meals. Additionally, the company’s food safety management system was found to be poorly implemented.
Despite multiple enforcement actions taken by SFA between November 2023 and April 2024, Sakura Buffet failed to rectify these issues. As a result, its license was officially canceled on Friday, and it is now prohibited from operating at its licensed facility.
The SFA emphasized that the cancellation was necessary to protect consumers from further risks and warned the public against ordering from the dozen businesses associated with Sakura Buffet. Customers were advised to file complaints with the Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) or Small Claims Tribunals if necessary.
Read more: Prabowo Secures Strong Parliamentary Support: Nasdem and PKB Join Forces
CASE has received 22 complaints about Sakura Buffet and its linked businesses since May 8. Consumers reported meal delivery failures and a lack of communication regarding the fulfillment of contractual obligations. CASE President Melvin Yong stated that affected customers should be entitled to full refunds for undelivered orders.
“The responsibility lies with the company to meet food safety and licensing standards. Until these issues are resolved, there is no certainty about when operations might resume,” Yong said.
To prevent similar issues, SFA reminded consumers to verify that catering services hold valid licenses before placing orders. Investigations into the reported cases are ongoing.
The swift actions taken by SFA underline the importance of maintaining high food safety standards in the catering industry to protect public health and consumer trust.
