DFI finds no lapse in food and safety after man says tofu from 'faulty' Giant chiller was spoilt

The DFI Retail Group (DFI) has found no lapse in food and safety protocols after a customer said the tofu he bought from a Giant supermarket was spoilt.

A Stomper alerted Stomp to a post by Woong Teck Leong in the Complaint Singapore Facebook group.

In the post, Woong wrote that he had bought Fortune egg tofu, soya beancurd and chin chow from the supermarket at Block 181 Toa Payoh on Jan 29 at 9.20pm.

He added that the products were not expired and their expiry dates were indicated as March 2024.

However, when he returned home and consumed a bowl of the soya beancurd, he said it 'tasted funny'. He then dismissed it as him having an issue with his taste buds because the beancurd smelled normal.

He then wanted to cook the egg tofu but discovered that the contents of the pack were 'watery and mushy curd'.

He added that there was a 'strong pungent rotten smell'.

He then returned the chilled items to the supermarket and handed them over to the staff.

"To my surprise, the staff straight away asked me if it is the tofu and beancurd [that had] turned rotten as the chiller fridge had some issue earlier," he said.

Woong then questioned why Giant did not immediately check and pull the products that were in the 'faulty' chiller and why 'innocent customers' were allowed to buy these spoilt products.

He added that he would be seeking medical attention and reporting the matter to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

In response to a Stomp query, a DFI spokesperson said the health and safety of their customers is a top priority.

DFI manages Giant.

"We would like to assure customers that there has been no lapse in our food and safety protocols with regards to the chiller, and that all affected products have been handled in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)," the spokesperson said.

"Upon being made aware of the issue, Giant has launched an investigation and can confirm that the products have met all food safety requirements based on equipment and temperature checks on the date of purchase.

"We would also like to reiterate our apologies to the customer for their experience and have reached out to the customer to offer a full refund.

"If the customer has any other concerns, we urge them to reach out to our customer service directly so that we may address them promptly."