Manpower shortage a major reason behind food safety lapses as demand for catering surges

SINGAPORE: Amid a spate of recent food poisoning cases, industry players and consultants told CNA that a manpower crunch is one major reason why some caterers are struggling with food safety lapses in Singapore.
They said volatile staffing is increasing the odds of human error at a time when demand has surged to new peaks since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Businesses are facing an uptick in orders of up to 10 per cent in the last two years, but there has been no significant increase in the number of new catering businesses over the past three to four years, according to the Association of Catering Professionals Singapore (ACAPS).
This worsens during peak periods, like the upcoming Christmas festive season or major public holidays.
“When you have a shortage of manpower, there are a lot of things you will not be able to maintain. For example, the basic or the minimum cooking (time) for a particular food item might not be met,” said food safety consultant Jesse Tan.
Such undercooked food can lead to food poisoning, among other causes like contamination, improper thawing of meat, pest infestations, and using expired food products.
Food safety has been thrown into the spotlight on the back of food poisoning outbreaks in the past few months. These include an incident at the ByteDance’s office where 130 people fell ill after eating food supplied by caterers Yun Hai Yao at Northpoint City and Pu Tien Services at Senoko South Road.
Most recently, 51 people suffered gastroenteritis after eating food provided by Stamford Catering Services.
Outbreaks were also reported at higher-end dining outlets like Chinese eatery Peach Garden and Pan Pacific Hotel’s Edge buffet restaurant.
Under a new Bill tabled in parliament on Tuesday (Nov 12), stiffer penalties could soon be imposed on those who flout food safety rules.
ACAPS, which represents more than 200 catering operators, noted that many businesses rely on a “flexible workforce” of part-timers and contract workers to scale up operations during busy periods.
However, not all the estimated 800,000 registered food workers – both full-time and part-time – in Singapore are available during the peak season.
The association attributed the recent spike in demand from caterers to the gradual phasing out of work-from-home arrangements. More in-person meetings and events have led to more requests for catering services.
More weddings and large-scale social gatherings that were delayed during the pandemic have also been held.
To address demand during these periods, the association said some catering companies collaborate with staffing agencies to source short-term employees.
However, Mr Tan said existing workers shoulder more workload if their employers are unable to find more workers, which increases the risk of mistakes, added Mr Tan.
His consultancy firm Advanced Consultancy has seen a 30 per cent rise in requests from clients to audit their kitchens this year so far, compared with previous years.
“A lot of companies are getting more proactive, because they feel that prevention is always better than cure,” Mr Tan added.
These mock audits can come in the form of a surprise check, which Mr Tan said most of their clients – which include food manufacturers, restaurants and caterers – prefer.
“Most of these premises would have food handlers who have already gone through all these basic food hygiene courses, but sometimes they might be blind to certain spots within the premises,” he noted.
“So our job is to help them identify what are the missing pieces and what are the spots that are not visible to them, and then we point it out to them, and then tell them how to improve.”
The Singapore Food Agency also said that beyond regular inspections, it conducts “targeted operations based on data analytics which identify licensees with poor track records, those with a history of foodborne outbreaks or those flagged by public feedback”.
During such inspections, the agency looks out for pest infestations, proper separation of raw and cooked food, and whether food appliances are kept clean, among other things.
At Rasel Catering, 8 per cent more staff are hired to handle orders during the year-end festive period, when orders go up 20 per cent more than usual.
Its managing director Alan Tan said the firm makes plans by organising staff schedules, stocking the kitchen fully, making sure everyone is on the same page during high-pressure situations, and ensuring the firm does not take more orders than it can handle.
The caterer was fined S$4,800 last year for multiple hygiene lapses after 345 people fell ill from gastroenteritis.
Now, it has turned to technology to beef up food safety – something ACAPS is pushing the industry to do.
It invested about S$200,000 (US$148,800) in installing high-tech gadgets to cut down on human contact with food and speed up workflows.
One technology the company has invested in is “ozonators”, or ozone generators, that release ozone in the air to help kill bacteria and eliminate strong odours.
Other various sensors keep air quality and temperature in check, ensuring they are within safe levels. Another machine automatically keeps dishes like chicken warm after they have been baked.
The company also sends food samples for microbiology testing as frequently as every month, performs equipment swab tests, and conducts surprise checks on kitchen staff to remind them to maintain personal hygiene.
Meanwhile, more restaurants and caterers are sending their food handlers for training, according to consultancy firm ISRC, which has seen an uptick in signups.
It conducts basic food safety courses offered at three levels, the lowest of which is required for all food handlers by law. It teaches things like personal hygiene.
Those who attend the highest-level course are taught how to address food safety lapses and manage manpower through proper cleaning and cooking rosters.
Learners are also taught how to set up separate workstations for raw, cooked and ready-to-eat food to reduce the risk of contamination.
“Many food establishments are now adopting recognised food safety management systems as clients increasingly require them to have food safety certification,” said ISRC senior food safety consultant Chan Fong Ying.
“The recent high profile food poisoning cases (also created) the urgency for businesses to implement a more comprehensive food safety management system, to protect public health and also to prevent contamination.”