Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported on Wednesday that food poisoning cases this year skyrocketed to 446, marking a nearly twofold increase and reaching a near three-year high for the same period.
FDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) stated that there have been about 200 to 300 cases of food poisoning from January to March in the past three years, with approximately 1,500 to 2,500 patients. However, for the same period this year, there have been 446 reported cases with a total of 2,504 patients.
A recent suspected food poisoning outbreak at the Truewow and Xiang La Spicy Hot Pot restaurant Ximen branch only underscored this alarming trend. 82 individuals sought medical attention after dining at the restaurants, with preliminary tests indicating norovirus contamination.
FDA Deputy Director of the Food Safety Division Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智) highlighted that the peak season for norovirus is from late autumn to late spring. Norovirus, the primary cause of food poisoning, poses a significant risk due to its ability to spread through human hosts to ready-to-eat foods. It is because of this that Cheng emphasizes the necessity of stringent hygiene measures and protocols.