Braised duck hawker at Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre spotted handling raw ducks on the floor

A hawker was allegedly seen handling raw ducks on the floor at a hawker centre in Singapore, raising concerns over hygiene practices.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the incident reportedly occurred at Chinatown Ah Po Braised Duck, a stall at Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre.

Raw ducks placed on the floor

A 43-year-old man, surnamed Chen (transliteration), told Shin Min he used to patronise the stall frequently, but his impression of the stall changed after what he claimed to have witnessed one morning last month.

Chen said in February that he had walked past the braised duck stall one morning and saw a person squatting on the ground with several raw ducks placed on the floor.

After taking a closer look, he believed the hawker was processing the ducks there.

Recalling that he had eaten food from the stall previously made him feel nauseated, Chen said. "I felt disgusted and will never dare to buy food from there again."

Chen added that he noticed the same thing on several occasions after that incident when passing by the stall in the mornings.

Only part of initial preparation process: Stall owner

When Shin Min reporters visited the stall on Mar. 7, the stall owner, 53-year-old Jiang, acknowledged that she was the person seen in the video and that the raw ducks had indeed been placed on the ground.

However, she said this was only part of the initial preparation process, such as trimming excess fat or removing unusable parts, adding that the ducks would still be washed before being cooked and sold.

Jiang also said she would be more careful in the future and that she would not put the ducks on the ground again.

The treasurer of the Commonwealth Crescent Stallholders and Shopkeepers Association (CCSSA) told Shin Min the association had not previously received complaints about the stall.

However, he said the association would speak to the stall owner and remind other hawkers to maintain proper hygiene standards.

One hawker at the hawker centre said all stall owners had undergone hygiene training and that such practices should not occur.

Other cooked food stall operators also said hygiene should be maintained throughout the food preparation process, warning that lapses in food safety could affect both customers and business.

Top photos from Shin Min Daily News