China News Service, Taipei, March 29: The food poisoning incident in Taipei City continues to spread. The health and welfare affairs department of the Taiwan authorities announced the latest development. Oryzazoic acid was detected in the blood of the deceased, marking the first time that this toxin has been detected in Taiwan. As of 10 a.m. on the 29th, a total of 18 poisoning cases have been reported, of which 2 people died and 5 people are still being treated in the intensive care unit.
According to reports from Taiwanese media such as Central News Agency, United Daily News, and TVBS News Network, a large-scale food poisoning incident was suspected in a restaurant called "Baolin Tea House" in Xinyi District, Taipei City. Starting from March 19, many people were in the restaurant. After experiencing symptoms of physical discomfort after eating, a 40-year-old diner died on the 24th, and a 66-year-old diner died on the 27th. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has characterized this incident as a "major food safety incident."
In order to clarify the cause of death, Taiwan authorities prosecutors and forensic doctors conducted autopsy examinations on the two deceased persons on the 28th. That night, the "Ministry of Health and Welfare" held a press conference to announce the autopsy results, saying that zymomycin was detected in the blood of one of the deceased, marking the first time that this toxin has been detected in Taiwan. It also stated that this was a preliminary test result and that further tests would be conducted in the future. Expand the scope of inspection. After the press conference that night, the blood test results of the second deceased case were also released, and zymomycin was also detected.
According to Taiwanese media reports, rice fermentation acid is a toxin that is mostly found in improperly stored starch and fermented products. Once the toxin is ingested by the human body, it will cause damage to major organs such as the liver, kidneys, and brain, and may cause symptoms including dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases, death.
Taipei prosecutors believe that the person in charge of Baolin Tea Room, Li, the store manager Wang, and the substitute chef Hu are suspected of serious crimes, and have restricted the three people from leaving the country or overseas. On the evening of the 28th, Taipei prosecutors directed Xinyi police to interview Hu, the substitute chef, to arrive at the case to learn about the cooking details of the relevant ingredients during the incident. He was later transferred to the prosecutors for review on suspicion of violating the Food Safety Act, negligent death and other crimes. . On the 29th, the prosecutor once again directed the Xinyi police to interview Li and Wang.
According to Taiwanese media reports, Li Mou, the person in charge of Baolin Tea House, originally ran a travel agency in Taichung. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the travel agency owed tens of millions of NT dollars in debt. He had no choice but to switch to the catering industry and opened a store selling vegetarian food in Taipei. After gaining popularity, he opened branches one after another. . It was also reported that the lease of the Baolin Teahouse in Xinyi District where the accident occurred was about to expire on March 31. Whether the operator caused the accident by trying to clear out the inventory of ingredients before closing has aroused heated discussions. Currently, all Taipei branches of Baolin Catering are closed.
The food poisoning incident has aroused great concern among Taiwanese public opinion. In addition to demanding that the truth be found out as soon as possible, they also expressed dissatisfaction with politicians' mutual accusations. "United Daily News" published an article stating that the proper way is to explain the situation as clearly as possible, reduce public misunderstanding and stigma, and allow people to have food and security. Hong Mengkai, a public opinion representative from the Chinese Kuomintang, also said on the 29th that food safety incidents are not partisan or blue or green, and that everyone needs to work together to find out the truth. (over)