Taipei to launch more food-safety inspections
SCHOOL LUNCH: All the affected children have returned to school after an alleged food poisoning incident, the Taipei mayor said, promising more unannounced checks
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The Taipei City Government is to conduct more unannounced inspections to ensure food safety at schools, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday, following an alleged food poisoning incident at a high school on Monday, in which 87 students became ill.
The school was ordered to suspend lunch services on Tuesday.
Taipei on Monday last week launched a free school lunch program for all elementary and junior-high school students.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wei-an speaks to reporters on the sideline of a forum in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
On Tuesday, Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Lin Liang-chun (林亮君) said she received complaints from parents saying that the lunch provided at a school on Monday contained suspected spoiled meat and some students complained about the smell.
Lin said she has asked the Taipei Department of Health to clarify the situation.
Taipei Department of Health Food and Drug Division Director Lin Kuan-chen (林冠蓁) on Tuesday said the department received a report from the school at about noon on that day saying that 87 students experienced diarrhea and displayed suspected food poisoning symptoms from 10pm on Monday.
The department sent inspectors to the school to investigate and collect samples for examination, and it also ordered the lunch service to be suspended, Lin Kuan-chen said.
On-site inspection found five hygiene deficiencies, and the department ordered the school to implement improvements before tomorrow, or face fines of up to NT$200 million (US$6.35 million), she said.
The health department said it also collected 11 food, environment and hand swab samples from the kitchen for testing.
All the affected children have returned to school, and the city government would set up a special project to follow up on the case and the children’s health, Chiang said yesterday.
The ingredients are being traced to the source and environmental sanitization has been conducted, he said, adding that the city government would increase unannounced campus food safety inspections.
The health department yesterday evening said that education department officials also went to the school to investigate the case, and the preliminary inspection showed that the meat in Monday’s lunch met Certified Agricultural Standards requirements for traceability.
People should pay close attention to the hygienic conditions of food-handling and eating venues, avoid raw or undercooked food, and eat meals promptly to prevent food poisoning, the health department said.
Those who experience suspected food poisoning symptoms should seek medical attention immediately and report the incident, it said.
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