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SINGAPORE: An investigation is underway into a massive food poisoning outbreak at TikTok owner Bytedance’s Singapore office on Tuesday (July 30).
A total of 130 people reported Gastroenteritis symptomsThe Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Wednesday.
In response, health authorities have Suspension of food business activities Yun Hai Medicine Store in Northpoint City and Pu Tien Services on Senoko South Road were the caterers. They added that both caterers provided food for Bytedance employees.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) dispatched 17 ambulances to the scene to handle the incident.
Employees at Bytedance said they saw vomit on the floor and colleagues winced in pain. “The whole office smelled like vomit,” a 28-year-old employee who asked not to be named told CNA.
Fifty-seven people were taken to hospital on Tuesday, and 17 remain hospitalized in a stable condition.
The suspected cause? The affected staff consumed food from the canteen located on Level 26 of One Raffles Quay.
What could possibly cause such severe food poisoning, and how can it be avoided?
What causes food poisoning?
Ms Chen Fangying, senior food safety consultant and trainer at consultancy ISRC, said severe cases of food poisoning were often linked to “high-risk” foods and conditions that were conducive to the growth and spread of harmful pathogens.
“High-risk foods include undercooked meat, raw poultry, seafood, unpasteurised dairy products, and cooked salads such as coleslaw and pasta salad,” Ms Chan said.
She said these foods may contain bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and Staphylococcus aureus, which produce toxins and cause serious gastrointestinal symptoms.
Additionally, improper food handling practices, such as inadequate cooking, poor refrigeration, and cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods, can greatly increase the risk of contamination.
Food prepared by people with poor hygiene practices or who are unwell can also introduce pathogens into the food supply.
Likewise, conditions such as high temperatures and prolonged storage at unsafe temperatures can promote bacterial growth in food and increase the severity of illness, she added.
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