Taichung roast duck shop shut after 16 fall ill

Taichung, July 24 (CNA) Sixteen people fell ill after eating roast duck from a shop in Taichung's Fengyuan District, prompting the city's Office of Food and Drug Safety to suspend the shop's operations on Thursday.

As of Thursday, the office said it had received eight complaints since Wednesday night, with all 16 affected individuals reporting symptoms such as stomach pain and diarrhea two to four hours after eating food from the shop.

Fourteen people sought medical treatment, and one remains hospitalized, the office said.

Officials suspended the shop's operations Thursday morning after an investigation revealed hygiene issues, including pests, insufficient freezer temperatures, and dirty refrigerators and roast duck racks.

Food samples were also taken from the shop, and the office said test results could be available in as soon as two weeks.

According to the office, this is the shop's second incident since June, when the person then in charge, surnamed Chen (陳), was investigated by the Taichung District Prosecutors Office over a food poisoning case in which salmonella was found in both food samples and biological specimens from those affected.

The current person in charge, surnamed Tsai (蔡), had only reopened the shop on Monday, the office said.

If harmful bacteria are found in the food, the shop could face a fine ranging from NT$60,000 (US$2,028) to NT$200 million under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, the office said.

Moreover, the office said that if the same pathogen is found in both the food samples and the biological specimens of those affected, the case will be referred to judicial authorities for further investigation.