SINGAPORE: Investigations are underway after a mass food poisoning incident at the Singapore office of TikTok owner ByteDance on Tuesday (Jul 30).
A total of 130 people reported having gastroenteritis symptoms, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Wednesday.
In response, the health authorities have suspended the food business operations of Yun Hai Yao at Northpoint City and Pu Tien Services at Senoko South Road. Both caterers had supplied the food that was consumed by ByteDance employees, they added.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) deployed 17 ambulances to the scene in response to the incident.
ByteDance employees recounted seeing vomit on the floor and colleagues wincing in pain. A 28-year-old employee who declined to be named told CNA that the “whole office smelled like vomit”.
Fifty-seven people were taken to the hospital on Tuesday and 17 remain hospitalised but are in stable condition.
The suspected cause? Food from a canteen on the 26th floor of One Raffles Quay, which the affected employees had consumed.
What could have caused such severe bouts of food poisoning, and how can it be avoided?
What causes food poisoning?
According to Ms Chan Fong Ying, the senior food safety consultant and trainer at consultancy ISRC, severe food poisoning cases are often linked to “high-risk” foods and conditions that facilitate the growth and transmission of harmful pathogens.
“High-risk foods include undercooked meats, raw poultry, seafood, unpasteurized dairy products, and prepared salads like coleslaw and pasta salads,” said Ms Chan.
She said that these foods can harbour bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria, and staphylococcus aureus, which produce toxins that can cause intense gastrointestinal symptoms.
In addition, improper food handling practices, such as inadequate cooking, poor refrigeration, and cross-contamination of raw and cooked food, can significantly increase the risk of contamination.
Food prepared by individuals with poor hygiene or those who are unwell can also introduce pathogens into the food supply.
Likewise, conditions such as warm temperatures and prolonged storage at unsafe temperatures can promote bacterial growth in food, and contribute to the severity of the illness, she added.