Further examinations on the collective food poisoning incident associated with a banh mi vendor in Taoyuan found that not only salmonella bacteria were detected, but also Bacillus cereus, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
The Taoyuan Department of Public Health earlier this month said that it had received reports of illness from hundreds of people who ate banh mi sold by a vendor at a traditional market in Taoyuan’s Jhongli District (中壢) and as an on-site inspection found many hygiene flaws, the department ordered the store to be temporarily closed for reinspection and specimens were collected for examination.
The FDA last week said seven specimens collected from patients and three specimens from food ingredients tested positive for salmonella bacteria.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
FDA Deputy Director Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said that 514 people fell ill after eating food from the banh mi vendor and that in three sandwiches, both salmonella and Bacillus cereus were detected.
Bacillus cereus is commonly tested for in food poisoning cases and the test results came back a few days ago, Lin said, adding that ingestion of contaminated food can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
The vendor failed the reinspection on Tuesday last week, so business is still suspended and the Taoyuan Department of Public Health has imposed a fine of NT$540,000 (US$16,931).
Meanwhile, the FDA on Tuesday released its weekly border inspection results, which included four batches of fresh cherries imported from the US that failed the inspection for mefentrifluconazole residue levels exceeding the limit of detection (0.01 parts per million).
Twenty-two batches of cherries from the US have failed the inspection in the past six months.
Lin last week said that the FDA last month had suggested that the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) submit information and apply for a maximum residue limit for mefentrifluconazole on imported cherries so that new regulations could be drafted.
The FDA has not received a response on the matter from the AIT, which could imply that there are some difficulties. If the FDA still does not receive a response in two months and cherries continue to be detected with excessive mefentrifluconazole residue it would consider temporarily refusing to accept food import inspection applications for cherries from the US.
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