Maintaining Public Health

Food hygiene partnership with Kopitiam

A proper system should be put in place to handle soiled crockery to prevent pest infestation and the removal of food storage drums, utensils, and other items from refreshment areas and in front of stalls.

In 2005, NEA went further in its pre-emptive approach by working with chain operators, such as Kopitiam, to improve hygiene at coffee shops.
Areas being looked into include a regular and frequent table and floor cleaning system to clean up spillages promptly, and clear soiled crockery and food remnants. A proper system should be put in place to handle soiled crockery to prevent pest infestation and the removal of food storage drums, utensils, and other items from refreshment areas and in front of stalls. There should also be a central registry of stall operators and their food handlers including cleaning schedules and pest control operations, and an in-house inspection book of all the necessary checklists.

Kopitiam’s and NEA’s hygiene officers have held a hygiene workshop to train all the stallholders in specific improvements in food storage and display, personal hygiene, temperature control and housekeeping. Kopitiam runs more than 70 food courts and coffee shops in Singapore.