Two Kura Sushi branches have been ordered to close temporarily, while 21 must make improvements following food safety inspections, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Wednesday.
Of the 55 branches inspected nationwide, 32 were found to be up to standards, FDA Director-General Wu Shou-mei (吳秀梅) said.
The inspections came after reports of food poisoning at three branches of the conveyor belt sushi restaurant in New Taipei City, as well as restaurants under two other brands.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
So far there have been 10 reports of food poisoning at the restaurants involving 23 people, three of whom tested positive for norovirus, Wu told reporters.
Food samples tested negative for contamination, while testing of other samples is ongoing, she added.
Following inspections, the Kura Sushi branches at Tamsui MRT Station and the Honghui location in Sinjhuang District (新莊) are closed temporarily, while 21 other locations have been ordered to make improvements, she said.
If kitchen contamination is discovered, the establishment may be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million (US$1,848 and US$6.16 million) under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), Wu said.
In severe cases, the business may be asked to close permanently or temporarily, and their registration may be revoked, she added.
Regarding a cluster of vomiting and diarrhea symptoms in the Xishan Borough (溪山) of Taipei’s Shilin District (士林), Wu said that norovirus was also identified as the cause.
The Taipei Department of Health last week suggested it may have been caused by large amounts of Escherichia coli bacteria detected in samples from a local water source.
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