Taipei health officials yesterday inspected a bento box shop in the city's Nangang District (南港) after 32 children and adults at a cram school fell ill from suspected food poisoning.
Sixty-one people at the school ate meals from the shop on Friday night, and 32 later sought medical treatment for symptoms such as fever, nausea, stomach pain and diarrhea, said Lin Kuan-chen (林冠蓁), director of the Taipei Department of Health's Food and Drug Division.
The department began receiving reports from hospitals and clinics on Saturday evening, prompting officials to launch an initial inspection of the shop on Sunday, she said.
Photo: Screen grab from Google Maps
The inspection uncovered multiple hygiene contraventions, such as low freezer temperatures and improper storage of ingredients, Lin said, adding that the shop was ordered to shut down and make improvements by yesterday.
Food samples from the shop were also collected for laboratory testing to determine whether the incident was a case of food poisoning, Lin added.
If all of the contraventions are resolved, the shop would be allowed to resume operations, Lin said. Otherwise, it would face a fine of NT$60,000 to NT$200 million (US$1,964 to NT$6.55 million) under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), she said.
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