A woman in Singapore found a metal fishing hook still attached to a slice of fish — while eating a serving of fish soup and noodles with her colleagues.
Shin Min Daily News reported that the food was bought from a stall located on the second floor of Bishan Bus Interchange on Dec. 1 during lunchtime.
The hook was visible while lodged in the bowl of food and spotted by the woman and her colleagues.
Based on the photos of the food, the sharp fishing hook could be seen in the transparent takeaway container.
Informed stall personnel
Appalled by the find, the woman and her colleagues informed the person manning the stall, but both parties ended up arguing over the matter.
A stall personnel revealed to Shin Min that the stall did not have any more fish heads, and could not prepare another portion to meet the woman’s request for a one-for-one exchange.
However, the customer claimed that the personnel at the stall was nonchalant about the issue, and even said it was not his problem to deal with, as the pieces of fish were from a supplier.
The woman alleged that the personnel displayed little remorse, and was even unhappy at her and her colleagues as the dish was already half-eaten before the complaint about the foreign object in the food was lodged.
The customer said it was only when her colleagues started to raise their voice, did the stall owner offer to give them a refund of S$6.
“I appeal to the public to be more careful when eating fish soup, especially the elderly,” the woman said.
Supplier issue?
A personnel speaking on behalf of the stall also told Shin Min after the incident that since the fish meat were cut up by the supplier before they were delivered to the stall, it was difficult to notice the fish hook still embedded in the fish.
He said the stall was able to be compensated by the supplier for their negligence and oversight.
He added that the stall will be more careful in the future.
Hard to miss
However, other stall owners interviewed said such a large fishing hook would be impossible not to notice while preparing the fish to be cooked.
But a plausible explanation has been offered.
A 53-year-old stall owner, who has been running her business since the 1990s, said suppliers would send them fish parts with hooks still embedded within the meat in the past.
As the fish was cut up, it might have been difficult to spot foreign objects.
However, as fish is meticulously cleaned before cooking and frying, the stall owner said such pieces of metal are impossible to miss.
Top image from Shin Min Daily News
