PUBLISHED ONSeptember 27, 2026 10:20 AMBYLim KeweiA woman purportedly regurgitated her lunch after finding a centipede midway through consuming a packet of 'cai fan'.
When her mother returned to the Bukit Batok coffee shop stall to complain, a disagreement occurred.
"(You) won't die from eating it, there's no problem" an employee allegedly retorted.
The 60-year-old mother, surnamed Lin, told Shin Min Daily News that her daughter had felt queasy and vomited after spotting the 4cm-long insect on Thursday (Sept 24).
The family had bought two packets of 'cai fan' from the coffee shop at Block 155 Bukit Batok Street 11 for about $12.
The unhappy Lin claimed that they were not offered an apology for the incident, and even faced retortation.
"It was a black centipede, which are poisonous, so won't you die? I told her that since it was okay, she should eat it, but she didn't dare to."
Lin said they will not patronise the stall again.
When contacted by Shin Min, the employee involved confirmed that an argument had happened, but rebutted Lin's claim about not apologising.
"Although we couldn't determine if it was from our stall, we were willing to refund and even told them they could choose a few dishes for free, but they didn't accept it."
The employee also said she had told the son-in-law that the vomiting might be a psychological reaction.
"I just meant that his wife's discomfort was likely not from food poisoning, and I didn't say the phrase 'won't die from eating it'," she claimed.
On her "not daring" to eat the centipede, the employee said Lin did not want to pass her the packet of food.
"I said, 'Give it to me and I'll eat it!', but she didn't. She might have been scared I would really do so," she told Shin Min, adding that they are willing to refund or compensate for any medical expenses.
Another male 'cai fan' stall employee also said they will reflect on the incident and prepare food with more care.
The Singapore Food Agency told Shin Min it is looking into the matter.
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lim.kewei@asiaone.com
