Cockroaches and contaminated chicken: Caterer fined S$7,000 over mass food poisoning incident at ByteDance's Singapore office
The fine was imposed for two offences: one under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations and another under the Sale of Food Act.
Appearing in court to receive the sentence on behalf of the company, Yunhaiyao chief executive officer Lu Zhi Tao listened as District Judge Janet Wang called the number of victims 'staggering' and said it was fortunate no deaths occurred.
The court heard that the affected individuals had consumed a wok-fried diced chicken dish catered by Yunhaiyao on July 30, 2024 that contained dangerously high levels of staphylococcus aureus — a bacterium known to cause foodborne illness.
Laboratory testing by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) found the bacteria count in a food sample exceeded 200,000 colony-forming units per gram, far above the legal limit of 100 units.
SFA prosecutor Mohd Rizal told the court that 60 of the 171 victims were taken to hospital.
While 38 of them were treated as outpatients or self-medicated, 22 were hospitalised for between one and three days.
According to Channel News Asia, the SFA also found more than 10 live cockroaches during an inspection of the Yun Nans outlet at Northpoint City following the incident.
Yunhaiyao had earlier pleaded guilty to both charges.
The first was for failing to maintain food hygiene standards, as evidenced by the cockroach infestation.
The second was for selling food "not of the quality demanded by ByteDance", given the excessive staph contamination in the chicken dish.
Staphylococcus aureus can produce toxins in food when it's not properly cooked or stored, or when it is handled by individuals with poor hygiene.
The prosecution had sought a combined fine of S$5,500, noting this was the company's first offence.
However, Judge Wang imposed a slightly higher fine of S$7,000, citing the serious health consequences for a large number of people.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Health concerns keep Hadi away from Turun Anwar rally
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang seen in this file picture after undergoing a medical procedure at the National Heart Institute on July 4. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : Health concerns kept PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang from attending the Health concerns kept PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang from attending the Turun Anwar rally held here today, according to the PAS Youth information chief. 'We were informed it was due to health reasons, because the crowd was large,' Khairul Nadzir Helmi Azhar told FMT. Hadi, 77, last attended a similar rally in Alor Setar on July 18. The PAS president has been in declining health over the past few years. He was admitted to hospital in June for a medical procedure, and has undergone dialysis and has been admitted to hospital several times. Key leaders who attended the rally today were PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, who served as emcee, and secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan. Other political leaders who were present included Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin, PN secretary-general Azmin Ali and Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor.
Malay Mail
7 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Health Ministry to fast-track hiring of 4,352 healthcare staff to meet urgent demand, says minister
KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — The Health Ministry (MOH) will fill 4,352 positions in the healthcare sector through a fast-track process to meet the urgent need for medical personnel, said Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad. He said the matter was discussed at the Cabinet meeting yesterday, during which he stressed the importance of accelerating the process. 'I have emphasised and instructed the MOH secretary-general and Health director-general to fast-track the recruitment process rather than following the conventional approach,' he told Bernama after officiating the Annual Scientific Meeting and 55th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Society of Radiographers here today. Touching on the registration of healthcare practitioners under the Allied Health Professions Act 2016 (Act 774), Dzulkefly urged all practitioners to complete their official registration and obtain the Annual Practising Certificate (APC) before December 31, 2026. He said this was vital to establish a recognised, regulated and quality-driven allied health ecosystem. Meanwhile, MOH Allied Health Sciences Division director L Mageswary said individuals who fail to register or practise without a valid APC could face legal action. 'Anyone employing unregistered individuals to carry out duties as allied health professionals is committing an offence. 'If convicted, the offender may be fined up to RM50,000 or jailed for up to two years, or both. For continuing offences, an additional fine of up to RM1,000 per day may be imposed after conviction. 'For corporate bodies, partnerships or any organisational entities, the fine may reach up to RM100,000, with an additional fine of RM5,000 per day for continuing offences,' she said. — Bernama
Borneo Post
11 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Dr Sim renews call for increased healthcare spending in Sarawak
Dr Sim (fourth right) and the Sarawak delegation in a group photo with Dr Bowen. Photo from Facebook/ Dr Sim Kui Hian KUCHING (July 26): Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian has renewed his call for increased healthcare spending for Sarawak, citing stark disparities in allocation compared to Western Australia, despite both regions having similar population sizes. Dr Sim said the state government of Western Australia spends A$14 billion (approximately RM38 billion) or 31 per cent of its budget annually healthcare for its three million population, out of which 42 per cent is funded by the federal government. In contrast, the Malaysian federal government allocates just seven per cent of the RM45 billion Ministry of Health budget for healthcare in Sarawak, which also has a population of about three million. '(This) Is definitely not (because) Malaysia is more healthy or (due to a) very young population and does not need to increase in health care spending, but (because) we don't spend enough (on healthcare) . Hence, (it is) important to implement the White Paper of Ministry of Health approved by Parliament of Malaysia (needs a target of 5 percent of gross domestic product and a defined dateline),' he said. Dr Sim, who is also Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government, made these remarks in a Facebook post following a courtesy call on Dr Shirley Bowen, Director General of Health for Western Australia, in Perth on Friday. The Malaysian Health White Paper (HWP), passed by Parliament in June 2023, outlines a 15-year plan to reform the nation's healthcare system. Amongst others, it proposes increasing public healthcare expenditure to 5 percent of the country's GDP and aims to reform the healthcare system for greater equity, sustainability, and resilience. On a related matter, he described the meeting with Dr Bowen as fruitful, with potential for future collaborations between the Sarawak and Western Australia. He noted several similarities between the two regions: both are the largest states by land area in their respective countries, with comparable population sizes and strong economic performance. He added both region are not only their nation's largest states by land area but also boast strong economies—Sarawak with the highest state revenue in Malaysia and Western Australia being the richest state in Australia by GDP per capita. 'Western Australia, the largest state in Australia, has a land area of 2.53 million square kilometres and a population of around 3 million, similar to Sarawak, which is the largest state in Malaysia with a land area of 124,450 square kilometres and a population of 2.9 million,' he noted. Dr Sim added that Western Australia's healthcare system is overseen by five ministers, each focusing on a specific portfolio: Health and Mental Health, Health Infrastructure, Preventive Health, Medical Research, and Aged Care and Seniors. Dr Sim Kui Hian healthcare allocation lead Western Australia
