Taipei: The Taipei City government has announced plans to conduct new inspections at a stinky tofu shop in the Zhongshan District, following a viral claim on social media that the shop's odor is impacting a user's mental health. The shop has previously been fined NT$585,000 (US$18,613) for odor violations.
According to Focus Taiwan, a user on the social media platform Threads reported that the smell from the Yuli Qiaotou stinky tofu shop, located near Jiannan Road Station on the MRT's Brown Line, has been causing her severe anxiety. The user shared images of her mostly bald scalp, a pile of lost hair, and doctor-prescribed ointments, claiming these were results of her distress. The post had garnered over 19,000 likes by Thursday.
Yen Ling-chen, head of the Taipei Environmental Protection Department's inspection team, told reporters on Thursday that her agency has conducted multiple visits to the restaurant in response to public complaints dating back to December 2024. On February 9 of the previous year, an odor concentration test revealed levels exceeding 10 times the legal limit, resulting in a NT$585,000 fine under the Air Pollution Control Act.
During a follow-up visit on April 20, inspectors verified that the shop had implemented an electrostatic precipitator, a commercial dishwasher, and a plasma odor elimination system, which brought odor levels within legal limits. Subsequently, the frequency of odor complaints decreased to two or three per month, with no compliance issues detected in later inspections.
Yen noted a recent spike in public complaints amid the social media discussions. She mentioned plans to schedule another odor assessment after the Lunar New Year holiday and encouraged the public to suggest specific locations for testing to address their concerns effectively.
Commenters under the original Threads post confirmed the strong odor around the shop, though it remains unclear whether it results from the tofu's potency or inadequate ventilation.