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Customer ‘disgusted’ after seeing hawker handle raw ducks on floor at Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre
Latest News Singapore
The hawker said she will be more careful and avoid placing ducks on the floor in future.
By Gary Yang - 9 Mar 2026, 3:18 pm
Regular customer no longer dares to patronise stall after seeing hawker handling raw ducks on floor
A customer said he was shocked after allegedly seeing a hawker handling raw ducks on the floor at a food centre in Singapore, raising concerns over hygiene practices.According to Shin Min Daily News, a 43-year-old engineer surnamed Chen said he was disgusted after witnessing the incident at Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre.
Mr Chen said he used to frequently patronise a braised duck stall called Chinatown Ah Po Braised Duck.
Source: Google Maps
However, his impression of the stall changed after what he saw one morning last month.
Hawker allegedly prepares raw ducks on floor
He said that at around 6am, he was passing by the stall while buying breakfast when he noticed someone squatting on the ground.Mr Chen said several raw ducks had been placed on the floor, and upon taking a closer look, he realised the hawker appeared to be processing them there.
Source: Singapore Uncensored on Facebook
“I was very shocked,” he said. “Thinking about how I had eaten food from that stall before made me feel disgusted.”
No longer patronising the stall
Mr Chen added that he no longer dares to patronise the stall.He also claimed that on several occasions after that, he noticed the same situation again when walking past the stall before it opened.
According to him, the ducks were usually handled on the floor during this preparation stage, which he believes does not comply with food safety standards.
Members of the public interviewed also said they found the practice difficult to accept, noting that placing raw meat on the ground appeared unhygienic.
Some, like Mr Chen, said they would avoid patronising the stall as well.
Other hawkers criticise the practice
Other hawkers at the food centre also criticised the practice, saying it does not meet hygiene standards.
Source: Google Maps
One hawker who declined to be named said all stallholders are required to attend food hygiene courses and such practices should not occur, saying:
Another fresh meat stallholder said she would never place raw meat on the floor when handling it, adding that doing so for cooked food meant for sale would be even less acceptable.
Mr Chen, 61, treasurer of the Commonwealth Crescent Stallholders and Shopkeepers Association (CCSSA), said the association had not received any complaints about the stall previously.
However, he said the association would speak with the stallholder and remind other hawkers to maintain proper hygiene standards.
Ducks washed before being cooked
When a Shin Min reporter visited the stall, 53-year-old owner Jiang Yueyin (name transliterated from Mandarin) admitted she was the person seen handling the ducks.She acknowledged that the raw ducks had indeed been placed on the ground.
However, she explained that it was only part of the initial preparation, such as trimming excess fat or removing unusable parts.
Ms Jiang added that the ducks would still be washed before being cooked and sold.
Source: Google Maps
She said she would be more careful in future and avoid placing the ducks on the ground again.
Stall name linked to veteran Chinatown hawker
Despite being located at Commonwealth Crescent, the stall’s name has a historical connection to Chinatown.
Ms Jiang previously shared that the “granny” refers to Hor Ng Mei, the well-known hawker behind the famous Run Ji Cooked Food stall at Chinatown Complex Food Centre.
Source: Google Maps
Madam Hor sold braised duck for nearly 70 years before passing away in 2019.
Ms Jiang said she and her husband once tried Run Ji’s braised duck by chance. Although she previously did not enjoy braised duck, the dish changed her perception and inspired her to learn how to make it.
She later apprenticed under Madam Hor for one year, after the latter’s children showed no interest in taking over the business.
Ms Jiang eventually opened her own stall at Commonwealth Crescent in 2015, where she has been operating since.
