Stiffer penalties for food offences
Foodcourt operators face temporary closure if there are too many breaches
By Amresh Gunasingham
OWNERS of dirty food stalls face higher fines for serious lapses in hygiene, under a revised penalty system which comes into effect next month.
By the end of the year, operators of 2,500 licensed foodcourts, coffee shops, and canteens will also come under the new penalty system and face having their premises closed temporarily if there are too many hygiene breaches.
The moves are part of the Government's attempt to prevent a repeat of the outbreak of food poisoning at the Geylang Serai temporary market last year.
The National Environment Agency (NEA), which regulates hygiene standards in food establishments, will raise the minimum fine for errant stall owners from $100 to between $200 and $400, depending on the seriousness of the offence.
Failing to use plastic bags to dispose of refuse is a minor offence. But preparing food on the floor or failing to prevent rodent infestation are serious offences.
Private operators of foodcourts, coffee shops and canteens will also be made liable for hygiene lapses in common areas of their establishments, such as toilets.
Copy from http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_499764.html
I think the move of goverment 's attempt is to prevent a repeat of the outbreak of food poisoning comes out of a good point but the standard in food establishment of the minimum fine of errant stall owner from $100 to between $200 and $400 is too much as the hawker like my father is now not earning to much as like Shop and save fair price and other places of shopping centre as i go and help my father sell fruit before the people who came and buy for the past years as the year when on the people started to go to other place to buy things and the business is very bad as more people losing job and now the market is now upgrading then people did not come