A Thai food eatery at Holland Village, Singapore has been suspended by the National Environment Agency (NEA) from Monday, October 16 to October 29. Nakhon Kitchen is located at 27A Lorong Liput Holland Village.
Following the suspension notice, the restaurant had apparently incurred 12 demerit points under the Points Demerit System over the last one year. It also suffered a fine of $800 for having failed to roll in an assistant, as well as for improper facilities to keep rodents away.
As per reports by The Straits Times, the suspension notice stated that NEA keeps a strict vigilance on food operators as the health and hygiene of the people is of utmost importance to the authorities.
"NEA takes a serious view of these offences and would like to remind food operators to observe good food and personal hygiene practices at all times and to engage only registered food handlers."
"NEA will not hesitate to take firm action against anyone found to be in violation of the Environmental Public Health Act" the notice further stated.
As per NEA's regulations, a licensee having 12 or more demerit points over a 12 month period can be suspended for two or four weeks or can have his license cancelled. If the food handlers plan to go back to business they will be required to pass the Basic Food Hygiene Course again.
This is the second such incident after rats were spotted at Alexandra Village Food Centre on October 2. NEA carried out pest control measures there as well.
NEA's "Food Hygiene Standards" category clearly focuses on strict modes of operations that are to be followed by restaurants, cafes, snack bars, supermarkets, mobile food wagons and food caterers.
NEA follows strict ideologies when it comes to cleanliness and hygiene of food stalls.
Whoever comes across poor food and hygiene standards at any eatery should immediately call the 24-hour NEA contact centre at 1800-2255632.
According to a staff at another outlet of Nakhon Kitchen Centre in Hougang, the outlet at Holand Village has only been suspended, the other six outlets are however open for service.
