Meadows brand bottled water recalled after bacteria found during SFA checks

[SINGAPORE] Bottled water from the brand Meadows has been recalled after a type of bacteria was found in the product.

The bacterium, known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is commonly found in faeces, soil, water and sewage, was detected during routine sampling by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

Consumers who have bought the 1.5 litre bottles of drinking water are advised not to drink it, and those who have and are now concerned about their health should seek medical advice, said the SFA in a statement on Thursday night (Dec 3).

Meadows is the house brand of supermarkets Giant and Cold Storage, which are both owned by the Dairy Farm Group, a Hong Kong-based retailer.

The affected bottles were from a single batch and can be identified by their expiry date - Nov 9, 2022 - which is shown on the bottle's neck.

They were all sold at Giant supermarkets only, said the Dairy Farm Group in a separate statement on Thursday night.

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It added that all affected products were removed from shelves on notification from the SFA about the bacterial contamination.

According to the SFA, consumption of the bacteria may cause a range of infections but rarely serious in healthy people. They multiply in water and on the surface of organic materials in contact with water.

The bottled water was imported from Malaysia. SFA said it has directed the importer to recall all the implicated products, and the process has been completed.

As a precautionary measure, Dairy Farm has withdrawn drinking water from the same supplier until their investigations are completed. The company added that customers who have purchased the product may return them to stores for full refunds.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but the health and well being of our customers is our top priority," said a Dairy Farm spokesman on Thursday night.

"We believe that this is an isolated case and all actions we have taken here are precautionary measures to safeguard the health and well being of our customers while we conduct our investigation," she added.

The Straits Times has contacted SFA for more details of the recall.

THE STRAITS TIMES