New Taipei Xindian District Bento Shop Suspected Food Poisoning Cases Rise to 44 Hospitalized, 3 Branches Temporarily Closed

The New Taipei City Government Health Bureau issued a press release this afternoon stating that as of 2 PM today, a total of 44 people have been reported in the suspected food poisoning case at Qingliu Canteen. Among them, 37 people consumed bento from the "Gongsuo Branch" and 7 people consumed bento from the "Zhongxing Branch," subsequently experiencing symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever. Due to time differences, there were discrepancies between the number of reported cases from various hospitals and the numbers provided by hospitals to the media. The Health Bureau has requested all hospitals to unify statistical figures released by the Health Bureau. The Health Bureau stated that currently, 44 people have sought medical attention, with 5 hospitalized, 7 under observation, and the rest having returned home to recuperate after treatment. Yang Shih-hao, Chief Secretary of the Health Bureau, stated in a phone interview with CNA that among the 44 reported individuals, 28 were from Xindian Cardinal Tien Hospital, 11 from Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, 4 from a hospital in Taipei City, and 1 from a local clinic. To clarify the cause of the incident and prevent its escalation, all three branches of Qingliu Canteen (Gongsuo Branch, Zhongxing Branch, and Minquan Branch) have temporarily ceased operations. Yang Shih-hao said that it will take 2 to 3 weeks for the collected food, environmental, and personnel samples to be analyzed. Subsequent judgments will be made based on the results of food and human examinations. If confirmed as a food poisoning incident, it may be transferred to the investigative unit for prosecution in accordance with the Food Safety and Health Management Act. The Health Bureau stated that preliminary investigations showed that people purchased various bentos from the Gongsuo Branch on April 5th and the Zhongxing Branch on April 4th. Common dishes included white rice, cabbage, fried eggs, or braised eggs. The Health Bureau has already sampled relevant specimens. The Health Bureau stated that due to the continuous increase in the number of patients, an inspection was conducted at the Zhongxing Branch today. Issues found included improper storage of knives, staff having long fingernails, and insufficient temperature in the freezing equipment. The operator has been ordered to rectify these deficiencies within a limited period. (Edited by Lin Shu-hui) 1150407