Dried scallops turn mouldy: If they need to be stored in fridge, why isn't the consumer informed?

After buying four packs of dried scallops from an online seller, a consumer discovered that two of the packs had gone mouldy.

The Stomper said he realised this only when he opened a pack.

The two mouldy packs were supposed to expire in October while the other two, which expire in November, did not turn mouldy.

"So storage was not a problem as I kept the scallops together with all my other dried goods such as rice, pasta, mee sua, et cetera.

"I informed the seller, but they denied any responsibility," said the Stomper. "They kept insisting that they sold the product according to SFA (Singapore Food Agency) guidelines."

So the Stomper called the Singapore supplier of the China-made product, a company called Sin Ocean.

"Two ladies told me over the line that the dried scallops are to be kept in a chiller to retain their freshness!" recounted the Stomper.

"I told them, 'Then you should have pasted a sticker over the packet to inform us that it needs to be refrigerated, but no sticker was pasted.'

"The supplier could not make an exchange for me as I did not buy the products directly from them. I told them about the seller. They said they would tell the seller to give me a call.

"The seller finally called me but just to collect the spoilt packets – without any exchange.

"I hope Stomp could do a write-up on this kind of irresponsible seller. They kept the dried goods in a chiller but didn't inform the consumer. Yet they kept repeating that the goods were sold in good condition."

Stomp has contacted Sin Ocean for more info.

Earlier this month, Stomp reported that another consumer was told that insects went into her pack of Chinese herbs because it was not kept in the fridge.