The Taipei City Government on Monday launched a Web site for catering companies to notify the government if they are planning to hold events outside their restaurants involving 200 or more guests.
The Web site was set up by the city’s Department of Health after the municipal government introduced new food safety regulations in January, requiring the city’s tourist hotels — of which there were 44 as of February — and restaurants with at least 20 tables that hold Chinese-style banquets to notify the government about catering services they offer outside their own venues.
Caterers that fail to notify the city government about services offered to 200 or more guests three days before an event would receive a written warning on their first breach, the department said.
Repeat offenders are to face fines of between NT$10,000 and NT$100,000, according to the regulations.
The Web site aims to offer a more convenient option for caterers to register their catered events, which they are required to do through industry groups or directly to the department.
The regulations were introduced following a 2013 Ministry of Health and Welfare regulation change that stipulated similar requirements, the city said in an earlier statement.
The city regulations were introduced to ensure a more thorough follow-up in cases of food poisoning, city officials said.
The city was notified of 57 catered events with 200 or more guests last year, up from 33 in 2014, the department said.
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