Taipei: Taipei health officials inspected a bento box shop in the city's Nangang District on Thursday after 32 children and adults at a cram school fell ill from suspected food poisoning.
According to Focus Taiwan, Lin Kuan-chen, head of the Taipei Department of Health's Food and Drug Division, stated that 61 people at the school consumed meals from the shop on Friday night, leading to 32 individuals seeking medical treatment for symptoms including fever, nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea. Lin reported that the department began receiving notifications from hospitals and clinics on Saturday evening, which prompted an initial inspection of the shop on Sunday.
The inspection revealed several hygiene violations, such as insufficient freezer temperatures and improper storage of ingredients, Lin mentioned. Consequently, the shop was ordered to close and address these issues by Thursday. Food samples from the shop were also collected for laboratory testing to ascertain whether the incident was indeed a case of food poisoning.
If the shop resolves all violations, it will be permitted to resume operations. Otherwise, it risks facing fines ranging from NT$60,000 (US$1,956) to NT$200 million under Taiwan's Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, Lin added.