On July 31, according to local media reports in Singapore, ByteDance's Singapore office was suspected of a collective food poisoning incident, many employees felt abnormal after eating a Chinese buffet lunch in the cafeteria, many people had gastrointestinal symptoms, and some employees vomited in the office, "even vomiting to the point of collapse and unable to get up." ”
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Multiple employees got food poisoning! Supplier exposure
The Singapore Food Agency and the Ministry of Health issued a statement on the evening of July 31 saying that many people developed gastroenteritis symptoms after eating Yunhai cuisine and food served in Putian at the canteen of ByteDance's Singapore office on the 26th floor of One Raffles Quay.
Starting at around 3:30 p.m. on 30 July, several ambulances and collective disinfection vehicles from the Civil Defence Force appeared, and a first-aid point was set up in the lobby on the first floor to focus on helping the affected people.
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The food in question is suspected to have come from two suppliers, Yun Hai Cuisine and Putian in Singapore. According to people familiar with the matter, the employee who felt unwell mainly consumed spoiled chicken from the Chinese buffet, and the meat supplier that day was Singapore Yunhai Cuisine.
As of press time, the 21st Century Business Herald has called Yunhaicai and Putian's parent company, Uncle Fang Catering Management Co., Ltd., many times, but has not yet contacted the other party for a response.
The restaurant involved has been suspended pending investigation
It is understood that the Northpoint City branch of Yunhai Cuisine and the Putian Central Kitchen will be temporarily closed from now until further notice.
On the company's side, ByteDance's Singapore office has set up a temporary medical assistance station on the 20th floor after the incident, temporarily blocked the buffet area in the canteen, and issued a notice to employees to explain the situation. The notice pointed out that the company will conduct laboratory tests on the food provided in the canteen, conduct deep cleaning of the canteen, and will also carry out comprehensive disinfection of the surrounding toilets.
A Putian spokesman said that the food in question did not come from Putian. "According to the company's understanding, the food in question did not come from Putian. Our buffet kitchen will be suspended to cooperate with the authorities' investigation and await the outcome of the investigation. ”
In response to Singapore media inquiries at noon on July 31, Yun Haiyan said: "We are working with other suppliers to provide assistance to those affected, and are working closely with ByteDance and relevant government departments to conduct a thorough investigation." We strictly comply with food safety regulations and hygiene practices. The health and safety of our customers remains our top priority. ”
In this regard, Zhong Kai, director of the Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center, said in an interview with the 21st Century Business Herald reporter that in the process of production, transportation and meals, which link has a problem, what is the suspicious food and pathogens, should be combined with the specific situation of the meal and the epidemiological characteristics of the poisoned person. "From the current information circulating on the Internet, it is impossible to give an accurate judgment."
It is worth noting that there have been frequent food safety incidents in Singapore recently.
On 23 and 24 July, 165 people at the Civil Defence College of the Singapore Civil Defence Force developed gastroenteritis after consuming food from a cooking class. After the incident, the stock of cooked and undercooked food was discarded and the college has started disinfection work. At present, the parties involved in this incident are under investigation by the Singapore Food Agency and the Ministry of Health.
A large number of Chinese restaurant brands have poured into the Lion City, and business is not easy
At present, this incident has aroused widespread concern in Singapore. It is reported that Yunhai Cuisine was established in 2014, and the number of stores in operation in the domestic market has reached 130, and 61% of the stores are concentrated in first-tier cities.
In April 2019, Yun Hai Cuisine Steamed Pot Chicken opened its first overseas branch at Singapore's Changi Airport, a rare local specialty, and when it opened, diners queued up to 50 meters away. Since then, Yunhai cuisine has maintained the pace of going to sea. As of now, the company has five stores in Singapore and plans to enter an upscale shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, next year.
The "Putian" of Fujian cuisine is a household name in Singapore, with Indonesian stores in 2006, Malaysia stores in 2012, and Philippine stores in 2019...... At present, the "Putian" restaurant has nearly 100 stores around the world, and 20 stores have been opened in Singapore.
The above figures are not unexpected. Singapore has the same food habits, language and cultural foundation as the Chinese market, and has become a popular destination for Chinese food and beverage brands to go overseas. Chinese restaurant brands that have flocked to Singapore along with Yunhai cuisine also include chain restaurants such as Haidilao, Tanyu, Yang Guofu and Taier, as well as Chinese teas such as Hey Tea, Mixue Ice City and Bawang Chaji.
Photo source/Tiger Sniff
However, business in Singapore is not as easy as expected, and overseas enterprises need to face many difficulties. The first is the limited availability of ingredients, and companies need to find local alternatives. Singapore's restrictions on the Chinese market are mainly focused on meat, and chicken, pigs, beef and mutton are not entered; Vegetables, fruits, and dry seasonings can basically be imported from China; There are few restrictions on the import of fish and seafood.
Previously, Lui Zhitao, co-founder of Yunhai cuisine and overseas business CED, also publicly stated to the media that most of the meat in Singapore restaurants comes from local procurement. "Domestic meat, such as chickens, ducks, cows and pigs, cannot be imported. However, when it comes to specialties, there are bound to be a lot of special spices and condiments, even vegetables and fresh food, which need to be imported (from domestic). ”
In addition to the constraints on the supply of ingredients, overseas restaurants are also facing the hidden dangers of high opening costs and low market demand.
Singapore shopping malls have high rents and labor costs
Singapore's business environment is stable and saturated, with few new malls. Because of the focus on reputation and contractual relationship, it is easy for a brand to renew the three-year lease with the mall after the three-year lease expires, and the new brand can only wait for the old store in the mall to move out. This also leads to the fact that to grab a good position in the mall, you may have to wait in line for several years, and some shopping malls even have to bid, and the one with the highest price wins. According to Tiger Sniff, the rent of stores in Singapore this year is more than 30% higher than in 2022.
Equally expensive are the labor costs. Manual recruitment is difficult and expensive, which is a typical feature of Singapore's catering market. Restaurant companies are based in Singapore, and recruitment must first have a quota to hire foreign employees, and 12 local employees can apply for 1 Chinese employee. According to relevant statistics, labor costs generally account for more than 30% of Singapore's catering operating costs, and even up to 35%.
Lu Zhitao once said: "The investment cost of the first store in the early stage of Yunhai cuisine is too high, and the investment amount of one store is the investment cost of opening three stores in China. ”
In addition, Singapore has a small land area and a permanent population of more than 5.9 million, and even if the Chinese account for 76%, the total population of the Chinese community with spending power is only about 3 million. With so many domestic F&B brands on the offensive, it remains to be seen whether the Singapore market can digest it.
Transferred from the 21st Century Business Herald