Singapore Food Agency enforces penalties on establishments failing sanitation standards.
SFA Suspends Six Food Outlets Over Hygiene and Toilet Violations
On Friday, 21 February, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) suspended six food establishments across the city-state due to violations related to cleanliness. The eateries failed to maintain adequate restroom hygiene and were penalised accordingly.
The affected outlets include:
27A Coffee Shop (517 Geylang Road)
7 STARS (Blk 312A Sumang Link #01-05, Punggol Parcvista)
Teck Seng (588F Balestier Road)
Teck Wah (8 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh #01-275)
1002 Food Court (1002 Toa Payoh Industrial Park #01-1407)
Al Mubin Restaurant (92 Syed Alwi Road)
Each was suspended for a day on 21 February after failing to uphold hygiene requirements, particularly in toilet cleanliness and maintenance.
Demerit Points and Fines
SFA enforces strict regulations on hygiene, with demerit points leading to fines and temporary suspensions. Here is the breakdown of the penalties issued:
27A Coffee Shop, 7 STARS, and Teck Wah each accumulated 12 demerit points within a year and were fined $1,300.
1002 Food Court received 14 demerit points and was fined $1,200.
Teck Seng was issued 12 demerit points, with eight for unclean toilets and four for faulty sanitary fittings, resulting in a $1,100 fine.
Al Mubin Restaurant also accrued 12 demerit points, with four for unclean toilets and eight for poor sanitary fittings, leading to a $1,100 fine.
Persistent Issues with Coffee Shop Hygiene
A Singapore Management University (SMU) study has consistently ranked coffee shop restrooms as the dirtiest in the country. A 2024 Straits Times report evaluated 2,600 public restrooms, awarding the lowest hygiene score of 46.26 out of 100 to coffee shops. Other venues fared better:
Hawker centres: 66.28
MRT stations: 75.97
Shopping malls: 77.01
Despite ongoing fines and enforcement actions, SMU’s research suggests that hygiene conditions have not improved significantly over the years, with coffee shop restroom scores remaining unchanged since 2016.
