SINGAPORE — The health authorities have suspended two caterers after a mass food poisoning incident at TikTok owner ByteDance's office at One Raffles Quay on Tuesday (July 30).

The food business operations of Yun Hai Yao at Northpoint City mall in Yishun and Pu Tien Services on Senoko South Road have been suspended until further notice, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said.

Yun Hai Yao runs the Yun Nans chain of Chinese restaurants, while Pu Tien Services is the central kitchen of Putien, which operates a chain of Chinese restaurants.  

A total of 130 people reported having gastroenteritis symptoms, the authorities said. On Tuesday, 57 people were taken to the hospital and 17 remain hospitalised but are in stable condition. 

The rest have sought outpatient treatment, self-medicated or recovered without treatment.

Yun Hai Yao told Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao that it was working with other suppliers to help those affected. 

“We are also working closely with ByteDance and relevant government authorities to undergo thorough investigations,” it said. “We are strict when it comes to food safety regulations and hygiene guidelines, customer health and safety remain our top considerations.” 

When CNA visited the Yun Hai Yao office in the Somerset Road area on Wednesday afternoon, staff members declined to comment and threatened to call the police. 

'EVERY SINGLE FLOOR HAD PEOPLE VOMITING'

ByteDance employees who spoke to CNA said that people started feeling ill from about 3pm. They recounted seeing vomit on the floor and colleagues wincing in pain. 

As more employees began falling ill, messages appeared on a company chat group seen by CNA asking if people were suffering from symptoms like diarrhoea or vomiting, while others requested that toilets and pantry sinks that were choked with vomit be cleaned. 

Andre (not his real name) ate at the canteen on the 26th floor on Tuesday, but did not fall ill. Putien and Yun Nans operate one buffet line each in the canteen, and he said that only people who ate at one of the buffet lines had food poisoning, although it was unclear which caterer operated this buffet line.

“Every single floor had people vomiting, which was quite gross,” Andre said. 

On the floor where he works, vomit was seen on the floor outside the entrance of the toilets. The situation was worse on other floors, he said. 

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it received multiple calls for medical assistance at 3.15pm and deployed 17 ambulances to the Central Business District.

Andre said that SCDF cordoned off an area on the first floor of the building at One Raffles Quay. About 10 people were inside the cordon, lying on the floor wincing in pain while waiting to be attended to by paramedics. 

Later that night, the company emailed a form to employees to report if they were ill, what their symptoms were and whether they had any allergies, he said. 

A 28-year-old employee who declined to be named told CNA on Tuesday evening that their colleagues started to feel nauseous about an hour after having lunch. 

"Mostly vomiting and diarrhoea. The toilets were all full and there were people lying on the floor. The whole office smelled like vomit."

They added that the scene was "quite chaotic" as people vomited on the floor and in the pantry, with cleaners "rushing around the office cleaning up the mess".

"Two of my teammates went to the hospital via SCDF, while four went to the clinic. They didn’t want to go to the hospital."

Those who sought treatment from clinics themselves were given three days of sick leave, the employee said. 

Employees confirmed that the canteen on the 26th floor was closed on Wednesday.

Both caterers were engaged about two months ago, and offer standard Chinese fare from their restaurants, they told CNA. 

The canteen on the 26th floor is popular and sees long queues every day, ByteDance employees said. 

Peter (not his real name) said that the food served in the buffet lines is “generally even better” than those at the other canteens or buffets outside. 

While he did not eat there on Tuesday, other colleagues mentioned that the affected buffet line served chicken, prawns, gizzard and vegetables. 

The food is usually fresh and warm, he said. “It’s really next to the kitchen. They (heat it up) and then they put it directly on the pots and it finishes quite fast because of the long queue.” 

Putien said on Tuesday night that those who came down with food poisoning did not consume the food catered by the restaurant. 

“We are cooperating with the authorities and await the results of the investigations,” it added.

The health authorities said that both companies are required to clean and sanitise the premises, including equipment and utensils, and dispose all ready-to-eat food and perishable food items.

All food handlers working in the premises are also required to reattend and pass the Food Safety Course Level 1 and test negative for foodborne pathogens, before they can resume work as food handlers.

The appointed food hygiene officer working at the premises must reattend and pass the Food Safety Course Level 3 before they can resume work as a food hygiene officer. 

Employees who spoke to CNA said that there are two buffet lines on that floor open for lunch between 12pm and 2pm each day, catered by Yun Nans and Putien. 

Pre-ordered bentos from other vendors and a salad bar are also available at the canteen on the 26th floor. 

In a company announcement to employees seen by CNA, ByteDance said that it was aware that staff members fell ill after visiting the canteen on the 26th floor.

The buffet section at the canteen will be closed until investigations are complete, the company said.

"We are taking this incident very seriously and are working closely with local authorities and caterers to identify the cause as soon as possible," it added. CNA