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CNA
2 days ago
- Health
- CNA
CNA Explains: Why a caterer was fined S$7,000 for giving 171 people food poisoning
SINGAPORE: Food company Yunhaiyao has been fined S$7,000 (S$5,400) over a mass food poisoning incident at tech firm ByteDance's Singapore office, which left 171 victims sick. This was the maximum fine the company could have received. But online, some have suggested the penalty was too light, considering the number of people who fell ill. What happened? Yunhaiyao, which owns the Yun Nans chain of restaurants, catered lunch for staff of ByteDance at One Raffles Quay on Jul 30, 2024. After their meals, 171 people suffered gastroenteritis symptoms, including fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomachache and headache. Sixty were taken to the hospital, of whom 22 were warded. They had eaten a wok-fried diced chicken dish that contained Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, or staph, over 2,000 times above acceptable levels. Investigations later uncovered a cockroach infestation in a Yun Nans outlet at Northpoint City, which had the catering licence. This was the Northpoint City outlet's first attempt at offering corporate catering. Yunhaiyao said in a statement that there were problems in "basic hygiene protocols" among others. Yunhaiyao has since closed its Northpoint City outlet and its corporate catering business in Singapore. Yunhaiyao Pte Ltd was liable for the offence, although it was CEO Lu Zhi Tao who appeared in court to plead guilty and receive the sentence on the company's behalf. What's the punishment for food poisoning? Yunhaiyao pleaded guilty to two charges. The first charge was under Section 18 of the Sale of Food Act. This states that a person must not sell food that is not of the quality, nature or substance of food demanded by the purchaser. For a first-time offender like Yunhaiyao, the maximum punishment is a S$5,000 fine. A repeat offender can be fined up to S$10,000 and jailed for up to three months. The second charge was under Regulation 26(b) of the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations. This states that a person engaged in the sale of food shall ensure the premises are free of rodent, cockroach or other vermin infestation. The maximum punishment is a S$2,000 fine. If the offence continues after conviction, there is a maximum fine of S$100 for each day it continues. Yunhaiyao's fine consisted of the maximum S$5,000 for selling food that was not of the quality demanded by ByteDance, and the maximum S$2,000 for the cockroach infestation. The judge considered the number of victims to be "staggering" and said it was fortuitous that there were no deaths. Aside from the actual harm caused to the victims, she also considered the high risk of potential harm caused by Yunhaiyao's "lackadaisical attitude" towards food safety. Food poisoning cases can also be dealt with under the Environment Public Health Act. Section 40 of this Act states that food establishments must not sell any food intended for human consumption that is unsound or unfit for that purpose. The maximum fine for a first-time offender is S$10,000. A repeat offender can be fined up to S$20,000 and jailed for up to three months. How does this compare to other food poisoning cases? In 2014, a four-year-old boy died after eating contaminated food at a food court in Northpoint Shopping Centre. The stall operator was fined S$1,400 for two breaches – failing to register a food handler and failing to protect food in a covered container. The stall operator's licence was also suspended until it had thoroughly cleaned the stall and its food handlers were re-certified in food hygiene. In another fatal food poisoning case, Spize restaurant in 2018 supplied bento boxes contaminated with Salmonella for a company event. Bacillus cereus and faecal coliforms were also found in a fried rice dish. Seventy-three people fell ill, of whom 47 were hospitalised. A 38-year-old man who had a Salmonella infection died of sepsis and multi-organ failure following acute gastroenteritis. Spize was fined the maximum S$10,000 under the Environment Public Health Act, for possessing food unfit for human consumption. Together with related firm Spize Events, the fines came up to S$32,000. They were convicted of 14 offences, including hiring unregistered food handlers and having poor hygiene practices. At the time, authorities said there was insufficient evidence linking the fatality to negligence by any particular person, so no individual was charged. Mr Adrian Wee, managing partner of Lighthouse Law LLC, said the higher number of charges suggested that the conduct in the Spize case was more egregious. There is also a distinction between incidents that arise from a single breach and from multiple breaches, he said. For the latter, such as in the Spize case, the cumulative penalties can be significant. Mr Josephus Tan, managing director of Invictus Law Corporation, said every case was different even if they may look similar on the surface. Courts also consider factors like the severity of the injuries suffered by the victims, the degree of negligence and the duration of offending, he said. So was Yunhaiyao's punishment too light? "Given the magnitude of the food poisoning in this case, it is not surprising that some may feel that harsher penalties may be warranted," said Lighthouse's Mr Wee. But he noted that financial penalties, and imprisonment for repeat offenders, are not the only means of deterrence. Offenders also face loss of reputation and the potential loss of their shop or catering licences, he pointed out. Additionally, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) can issue directives to ensure food safety standards are met, and did so in Yunhaiyao's case. The company was required to throw away food, clean its premises and re-certify all food handlers in food safety. SFA suspended the Yun Nans outlet at Northpoint City until these measures were taken. Mr Tan from Invictus believes however that the fines were insufficient in this case and food poisoning ones in general, even though the court could not have imposed more than what parliament legislated. "A commercial operator must always carry a heavier responsibility if they are in the business of profiting from the masses where any subpar, unethical or illegal practices from their end may have tremendous (impact)," he said, citing the food, transport, healthcare, education and renovation sectors as examples. He pointed to how, under the Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA), workplace-related deaths can lead to fines of up to S$200,000 for individuals and and S$500,000 for companies. "It is timely for parliament to seriously consider amending the relevant legislations governing food safety to mirror those we see in the WSHA," Mr Tan added. "It is important to send a message to aspiring commercial operators that if one intends to profit from the masses, one should also be ready to adhere to the strictest industry and legal standards."
Online Citizen
3 days ago
- Health
- Online Citizen
Yunhaiyao fined S$7,000 for food poisoning case affecting 171 ByteDance staff in Singapore
SINGAPORE: Yunhaiyao, a catering company known for operating the Yun Nans chain of restaurants in Singapore, was fined S$7,000 on 17 July 2025. The fine was issued over a mass food poisoning incident last year that affected employees at ByteDance Singapore. According to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, Lu Zhi Tao, chief executive officer of Yunhaiyao, appeared in court to receive the sentence on behalf of the company. Singapore Food Agency (SFA) prosecutor Mohd Rizal told the court that a total of 171 victims suffered gastroenteritis symptoms. Of these, 60 victims were sent to hospital for treatment. Twenty-two of them were warded for one to three days. The remaining 38 received outpatient care or self-medicated at home. District Judge Janet Wang described the number of victims as 'staggering' and noted it was fortunate that there were no fatalities. Investigations revealed that the affected ByteDance employees had eaten wok-fried diced chicken catered by Yunhaiyao. Tests showed the dish contained staphylococcus aureus bacteria far exceeding permissible limits. According to SFA, more than 200,000 colony-forming units per gram were found in a sample of the chicken. Food safety regulations state that food should contain fewer than 100 colony-forming units. Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as staph, can cause food poisoning when food is not cooked or stored properly. It can also spread through poor hygiene practices among food handlers. Further checks by SFA at the Yun Nans outlet in Northpoint City uncovered more than 10 live cockroaches. Yunhaiyao pleaded guilty to one charge under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations for the cockroach infestation. It also pleaded guilty to a second charge under the Sale of Food Act for selling food that failed to meet the standards demanded by ByteDance. Prosecutor Mohd Rizal had requested a total fine of S$5,500 for Yunhaiyao. This is the company's first food safety offence in Singapore. Yunhaiyao, founded in 2009 in China, has expanded to include over a dozen outlets in major Chinese cities. Annual sales for the company exceed 1 billion yuan (approximately S$200 million). Lu established the first overseas Yunhaiyao outlet in Singapore in 2019 after relocating with his family.
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
S$7,000 fine for eatery chain involved in ByteDance food poisoning case
Yunhaiyao chief executive Lu Zhi Tao appeared in court on behalf of the company. - ST SINGAPORE: Catering company Yunhaiyao, which was convicted over its role in the ByteDance mass food poisoning case that affected 171 people, was fined S$7,000 on Thursday (July 17). District Judge Janet Wang said a 'staggering' number of people were affected by the episode and that it was fortuitous no fatality resulted. Noting that the firm had already been in operation in Singapore for six years, she added: '(The company) had sat on its laurels of complacency and maintained a lackadaisical attitude towards the importance of food safety.' Yunhaiyao's chief executive Lu Zhi Tao, who appeared in court on behalf of the company, said it has permanently closed its Northpoint City outlet, where the contaminated food was prepared. Among other remedial measures, Lu said all of the firm's chefs have since attended a hygiene course again, and a cleaning company was hired to thoroughly clean all premises that are still open for business. Through a Mandarin interpreter, he added: 'The company has set out a safety check team to check on the quality of cooked food and ingredients at the various retail outlets.' Meanwhile, the court heard that the other caterer that had been suspended by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) over the case was eventually found to be uninvolved in the gastroenteritis incident. The two caterers supplied food to ByteDance, which saw some of its staff members suffer a gastroenteritis incident on July 30, 2024. The victims had suffered abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting after consuming catered lunches prepared by Yunhaiyao. SFA prosecuting officer Mohd Rizal told the court that of the 171 victims, 60 were conveyed to hospital and 22 of them were eventually warded for between one and three days. Yunhaiyao had on July 2 pleaded guilty to one charge under the Sale of Food Act and another under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations. Court documents revealed that the wok-fried diced chicken prepared by Yunhaiyao was found to contain over 200,000 colony-forming units (CFU) per gram of Staphylococcus aureus, a type of pathogen. This was more than 2,000 times the acceptable level of less than 100 CFU per gram. Rizal said pathogens exceeding this amount would make the food unsuitable for consumption and that eating such food may cause symptoms of gastroenteritis. During the inspection of Yunhaiyao's food preparation premises at its Northpoint City outlet, SFA officers also discovered more than 10 live cockroaches beneath a folded grey plastic mat behind a rack. Yunhaiyao's staff immediately disposed of the infested material, said the prosecutor. The food company's suspension was lifted by SFA on Aug 16 after it took the necessary remedial measures. Judge Wang said its remedial steps were fundamental processes that ought to have been put in place from the outset. She further noted that the firm did not offer an apology or voluntary compensation after the incident. When Judge Wang asked about its plans to compensate victims, Lu said they were in contact with ByteDance. 'We (ByteDance and Yunhaiyao) have an agreement that we will discuss this further upon the conclusion of this case,' he said through an interpreter. He added that the firm would post an apology on social media after the case's conclusion. - The Straits Times/ANN
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
Cockroaches and contaminated chicken: Caterer fined S$7,000 over mass food poisoning incident at ByteDance's Singapore office
SINGAPORE, July 17 — Catering company Yunhaiyao, which operates the Yun Nans restaurant chain, was fined S$7,000 (RM23,123) today for its role in a mass food poisoning incident that sickened 171 people at ByteDance's Singapore office last year, Channel News Asia reported. 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.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
$7,000 fine for eatery chain involved in ByteDance food poisoning case
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Yunhaiyao chief executive Lu Zhi Tao appeared in court on behalf of the company. SINGAPORE – Catering company Yunhaiyao, which was convicted over its role in the ByteDance mass food poisoning case that affected 171 people , was fined $7,000 on July 17. District Judge Janet Wang said a 'staggering' number of people were affected by the episode and that it was fortuitous no fatality resulted. Noting that the firm had already been in operation in Singapore for six years, she added: '(The company) had sat on its laurels of complacency and maintained a lackadaisical attitude towards the importance of food safety.' Its chief executive Lu Zhi Tao, who appeared in court on behalf of the company, said it has permanently closed its Northpoint City outlet, where the contaminated food was prepared. Among other remedial measures, Mr Lu said all of the firm's chefs have since attended a hygiene course again, and they hired a cleaning company to thoroughly clean all of its premises that are still open for business. Through a Mandarin interpreter, he added: 'The company has set out a safety check team to check on the quality of cooked food and ingredients at the various retail outlets.' Meanwhile, the court heard that the other caterer that had been suspended by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) over the case was eventually found to be uninvolved in the gastroenteritis incident. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid in Bishan: Traffic Police officer sentenced to 10 years' jail Singapore Man charged over manufacturing DIY Kpods at Yishun home; first such case in Singapore Singapore HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning Life 11 new entries on Singapore's Bib Gourmand list, including three re-entries at Old Airport Road Singapore Bicycle wheel-inspired care model used to improve trauma outcomes in central S'pore Singapore 15 under police probe for sharing Singpass credentials used in scams Singapore NEA monitoring E. coli at Sentosa beaches after elevated bacteria levels delay World Aquatics events Singapore Kpod vapes, zombie kids: Why it's time to raise the alarm It was given the green light by SFA on Aug 10, 2024, to resume operations. The two caterers supplied food to ByteDance, which saw some of its staff members suffer a gastroenteritis incident on July 30, 2024. The victims had suffered abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting after consuming catered lunches prepared by Yunhaiyao. SFA prosecuting officer Mohd Rizal told the court that of the 171 victims, 60 were conveyed to hospital and 22 of them were eventually warded for between one and three days. Yunhaiyao had on July 2 pleaded guilty to one charge under the Sale of Food Act and another under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations. Court documents revealed that the wok-fried diced chicken prepared by Yunhaiyao was found to contain over 200,000 colony-forming units (CFU) per gram of Staphylococcus aureus, a type of pathogen. This was more than 2,000 times the acceptable level of less than 100 CFU per gram. Mr Rizal said pathogens exceeding this amount would make the food unsuitable for consumption and that eating such food may cause symptoms of gastroenteritis. During the inspection of Yunhaiyao's food preparation premises at its Northpoint City outlet, SFA officers also discovered more than 10 live cockroaches beneath a folded grey plastic mat behind a rack. Yunhaiyao's staff immediately disposed of the infested material, said the prosecutor. The food company's suspension was lifted by SFA on Aug 16 after it took the necessary remedial measures. Judge Wang said its remedial steps were fundamental processes that ought to have been put in place from the outset. She further noted that the firm did not offer an apology or voluntary compensation after the incident. When Judge Wang asked about its plans to compensate victims, Mr Lu said they were in contact with ByteDance. 'We (ByteDance and Yunhaiyao) have an agreement that we will discuss this further upon the conclusion of this case,' he said through an interpreter. He added that the firm would post an apology on social media after the case's conclusion.
