Singapore eatery Yun Hai Yao charged over ByteDance food poisoning in 2024; live cockroaches, toxin-producing bacteria found
SINGAPORE, June 4 — Chinese eatery chain Yun Hai Yao has been charged in court over a mass food poisoning incident at ByteDance's Singapore office in 2024 that affected 169 people.
The company, also known locally as Yun Nans, faces two charges under the Sale of Food Act and the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations, according to court documents, The Straits Times reported today.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) alleges that a chicken dish catered by the company for ByteDance's office at One Raffles Quay on July 30, 2024, was contaminated with harmful bacteria.
The dish reportedly contained coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus with genes for Staphylococcus Enterotoxin A, a toxin-producing bacterium that can cause food poisoning when hygiene standards are not maintained during food preparation.
Symptoms from exposure to the toxin include sudden nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhoea.
Court documents also state that over 10 live cockroaches were found at Yun Hai Yao's outlet in Northpoint City the following day, hidden beneath a folded plastic mat behind a rack.
A prosecutor from SFA told the court they are seeking a total fine of S$5,000 (RM16,500) for the two charges.
Yun Hai Yao's CEO, Lu Zhi Tao, appeared in court on behalf of the company and said they intend to plead guilty without legal representation.
The case has been scheduled for a guilty plea on July 2.
Yun Hai Yao and another caterer, Pu Tien Services, were suspended by SFA from July 31, 2024, following the outbreak, which led to 17 hospitalisations.
Pu Tien Services resumed operations on August 10, while Yun Hai Yao's suspension was lifted six days later after it completed necessary sanitation measures.
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