Polam Kopitiam is a restaurant chain serving Malaysian cuisine in Taiwan, and its Xinyi branch just had a serious food poisoning case that took place on the 22nd. So far 1 victim passed away, and 2 are in the ICU, with a total of 9 having reported symptoms. Most of them have ordered stir fried kué-tiâu.
However, the severity of the cases makes it unusual for your regular food poisoning. The victim that passed away died of acute kidney failure. Some experts suspect this incident might be caused by bongkrekic acid, and the kué-tiâu used might not have been stored properly.
Although the poor traffic gets all the attention proper food handling practices, sanitation and hygiene is one of the other major issues affecting everyday life here. Restaurants need regular inspections and not just when an issue is reported.
Just going to the night market is a risky venture.
So, with a dead person already, they went to inspect the place on Sunday and found irregularities, but they let them to remain open because??? Haikeyism? Business-must-go-onism?
Only after more cases arised, they closed the place down, and, in an incredible attack against free market, they let them know that a second inspection was coming, so better not fail it again. Do I need to ask whether they sealed the place off or they just let them destroy evidence freely?
They had one sick person, that’s right. Because the other was already dead if the article ir correct. Plus they found health irregularities after inspecting the place. I’m not saying closing the whole food court, or even other restaurants from the same company, just that one.
They’ve been more strict in other recent cases, even without any intoxication happening.
I wonder about the rice syndrome thing. For 20 years we have let rice cool many hours until refrigerating and then keeping it there for 4 days or more and reheating portions as needed. Only reheating once. Never got sick.
I’d suspect washing practice more. I know people working in restaurants and they often say the same old nasty dish cloths for drying dishes and wiping tables are used all day and not really washed out well…probably day after day. And many places don’t have double sinks to make washing a little more sanitary.
Can only imagine dish storage and night time.
My wife worked in a place that underwent routine monthly fumigations for cockroaches and there’d still be complaints.
Kitchen sanitation isn’t an easy thing. Watch these fancy tv cooking shows and notice how often after handling meat the chefs then directly touch utensils, cupboard and fridge handles without washing their hands first.
Anyway… probably makes us stronger most of the time
