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Online Citizen
7 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
7 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
Straits Times
03-07-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
ByteDance food poisoning: Cockroaches found on premises of catering firm, 1 dish had unacceptable levels of pathogens
Yunhaiyao's chief executive Lu Zhi Tao appeared in court on July 2 on behalf of the company and pleaded guilty to two charges. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES ByteDance food poisoning: Cockroaches found on premises of catering firm, 1 dish had unacceptable levels of pathogens Nadine Chua The Straits Times July 2, 2025 Catering company Yunhaiyao, which was involved in the ByteDance mass food poisoning case, has been convicted after cockroaches were found on its premises. The wok-fried diced chicken prepared by the company was also found to have contained more than 2,000 times the acceptable level of pathogens. Yunhaiyao's chief executive Lu Zhi Tao appeared in court on July 2 on behalf of the company and pleaded guilty to one charge under the Sale of Food Act and another under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations. Singapore Food Agency (SFA) prosecuting officer Mohd Rizal told the court that on July 30, 2024, the agency was alerted to an incident of gastroenteritis involving 60 victims, who were the staff of ByteDance. The victims had suffered abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting after consuming catered lunches prepared by Yunhaiyao. Among the dishes from Yunhaiyao's menu sent for food analysis was the wok-fried diced chicken. The meat was found to contain over 200,000 colony-forming units (CFU) per gram of Staphylococcus aureus, a type of pathogen. This exceeded the specified levels of less than 100 CFU per gram. The prosecutor 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, 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. Before a sentence was meted out, District Judge Janet Wang adjourned the case, seeking more information on how many victims needed medical intervention and how many were hospitalised, among other things. Lu, on behalf of Yunhaiyao, is expected to return to court on July 17 for mitigation and sentencing. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
New Paper
03-07-2025
- Health
- New Paper
ByteDance food poisoning: Catering firm convicted after cockroaches found on premises
Catering company Yunhaiyao, which was involved in the ByteDance mass food poisoning case, has been convicted after cockroaches were found on its premises. The wok-fried diced chicken prepared by the company was also found to have contained more than 2,000 times the acceptable level of pathogens. Yunhaiyao's chief executive Lu Zhi Tao appeared in court on July 2 on behalf of the company and pleaded guilty to one charge under the Sale of Food Act and another under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations. Singapore Food Agency (SFA) prosecuting officer Mohd Rizal told the court that on July 30, 2024, the agency was alerted to an incident of gastroenteritis involving 60 victims, who were the staff of ByteDance. The victims had suffered abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting after consuming catered lunches prepared by Yunhaiyao. Among the dishes from Yunhaiyao's menu sent for food analysis was the wok-fried diced chicken. The meat was found to contain over 200,000 colony-forming units (CFU) per gram of Staphylococcus aureus, a type of pathogen. This exceeded the specified levels of less than 100 CFU per gram. The prosecutor 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, 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. Before a sentence was meted out, District Judge Janet Wang adjourned the case, seeking more information on how many victims needed medical intervention and how many were hospitalised, among other things. Lu, on behalf of Yunhaiyao, is expected to return to court on July 17 for mitigation and sentencing.
The Star
03-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
Singapore's ByteDance food poisoning: Catering firm convicted after cockroach infestation found on premises
Yunhaiyao's chief executive Lu Zhi Tao appeared in court on July 2 on behalf of the company and pleaded guilty to two charges. - Photo: ST SINGAPORE: Catering company Yunhaiyao, which was involved in the ByteDance mass food poisoning case, has been convicted after cockroaches were found on its premises. The wok-fried diced chicken prepared by the company was also found to have contained more than 2,000 times the acceptable level of pathogens. Yunhaiyao's chief executive Lu Zhi Tao appeared in court on Wednesday (July 2) on behalf of the company and pleaded guilty to one charge under the Sale of Food Act and another under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations. Singapore Food Agency (SFA) prosecuting officer Mohd Rizal told the court that on July 30, 2024, the agency was alerted to an incident of gastroenteritis involving 60 victims, who were the staff of ByteDance. The victims had suffered abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting after consuming catered lunches prepared by Yunhaiyao. Among the dishes from Yunhaiyao's menu sent for food analysis was the wok-fried diced chicken. The meat was found to contain over 200,000 colony-forming units (CFU) per gram of Staphylococcus aureus, a type of pathogen. This exceeded the specified levels of less than 100 CFU per gram. The prosecutor 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, 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. Before a sentence was meted out, District Judge Janet Wang adjourned the case, seeking more information on how many victims needed medical intervention and how many were hospitalised, among other things. Lu, on behalf of Yunhaiyao, is expected to return to court on July 17 for mitigation and sentencing. - The Straits Times/ANN
