TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — New Taipei City Government's Department of Health said Wednesday (Oct. 16) that 17 people had gastrointestinal discomfort after a suspected food poisoning incident at a restaurant in the city.
On Wednesday, the health department received a report from the public that some people had fallen ill after 24 people dined at the Lemongrass Gourmet Tea House Banqiao Store on Sunday (Oct. 13), per UDN. The health department investigated and found 17 people with gastrointestinal discomfort, 15 of whom had sought medical treatment at hospitals or clinics, but none of whom required hospitalization.
The Health Bureau said several issues were found, such as equipment not being kept clean and trash cans not being covered.
The business was ordered to rectify these issues within a set deadline. Failure to comply could result in a fine of between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million per Article 8, Paragraph 1 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法).
In addition, samples of ice cubes, bubble tea, and waffles were taken for testing to ensure they met hygiene standards. If the test results are found to be non-compliant, and the business fails to rectify the issues within a set deadline, a further fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$3 million may be imposed.
The health department said that since the number of people experiencing suspected food poisoning symptoms had reached the threshold for suspension, the teahouse was ordered to temporarily suspend operations.
The business may resume operations only after completing the necessary improvements, submitting a corrective action report, and passing a re-inspection of environmental hygiene.