11 diners at Kaohsiung buffet fall ill with suspected food poisoning

Kaohsiung, April 28 (CNA) Eleven people have sought medical attention for suspected food poisoning symptoms after dining at an upscale buffet restaurant in Kaohsiung's Zuoying District, the city's health authorities said Saturday.

In a press release, the Kaohsiung City Health Department said it sent food safety inspectors to the Kaohsiung Arena branch of Hi-Lai Harbour (漢來海港) after being notified by a hospital where one of the patients was treated.

At the restaurant, health inspectors found signs of cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods and collected 20 samples from food items, including salad, oysters and sashimi, and various locations in the restaurant, the statement said.

Another 56 samples were collected from the restaurant's kitchen workers and the 11 people who became ill, the department said, adding that all of the samples are still undergoing testing.

The health department said the 11 patients had all eaten at the buffet during the same two meal services -- it did not specify which -- and later developed diarrhea and other symptoms of food poisoning.

All of them have since been released from hospital.

Pending the release of the test results, the restaurant agreed to remain closed on Saturday and Sunday to undergo extensive cleaning, according to the department.

City health officials will make a follow-up inspection after the clean-up, and if sanitation issues persist, it could face fines ranging from NT$60,000 to NT$200 million (US$1,839-US$6.13 million) under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, the department said.