A routine dining experience turned into a distressing incident for a mother and daughter after they allegedly discovered a metal screw inside a bowl of mushroom soup at a Western restaurant in Sarawak.
The Sarawak Consumers Association (PPS) said the diner had already placed the foreign object into her mouth before realising something was wrong. She immediately spat it out, narrowly avoiding swallowing the sharp metal piece.
Shaken by the incident, both individuals who shared the soup later sought medical attention at a local hospital as a precautionary step. They are currently awaiting medical reports to confirm whether any internal injuries or complications occurred.
PPS president Wynson Ong described the case as a serious food safety breach that should not be dismissed as a minor oversight, stressing that such incidents raise concerns about hygiene standards and operational controls in food preparation.
He said the presence of a screw points to possible lapses in kitchen management, equipment maintenance, or food handling procedures. While the restaurant has agreed to cover medical expenses, PPS stressed that compensation alone does not address the underlying safety failures.
The association has urged the restaurant to provide a full explanation, including how the contamination occurred and what corrective measures will be implemented to prevent a repeat of the incident.
PPS also warned that even small acts of negligence in food preparation can lead to severe or irreversible consequences, calling for greater transparency to restore public confidence in the food and beverage industry.
