The chief executive of a catering company pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges stemming from a mass food poisoning incident that hospitalized 60 ByteDance employees last year, according to Channel News Asia.
Lu Zhi Tao, CEO of Yunhaiyao, entered guilty pleas on behalf of his company to two charges related to the July 30, 2024 incident at ByteDance’s One Raffles Quay office canteen.
The Singapore Food Agency investigation revealed that wok-fried diced chicken provided by Yunhaiyao contained staphylococcus aureus bacteria levels exceeding regulatory limits. Food samples tested showed more than 200,000 colony-forming units per gram of the bacteria, far above the permitted maximum of 100 colony-forming units.
ByteDance staff who consumed the contaminated chicken experienced symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. All 60 affected employees required hospital treatment at various medical facilities across Singapore.
The SFA’s National Centre for Food Science confirmed that Yunhaiyao’s chicken dish was the likely source of staphylococcus aureus poisoning among the victims. Staphylococcus aureus produces toxins in improperly cooked or stored food and can spread through poor hygiene practices during food handling.
Following the incident, SFA inspectors examined Yunhaiyao’s food preparation facilities at their Yun Nans outlet in Northpoint City. The inspection uncovered more than 10 live cockroaches beneath a folded plastic mat behind equipment racks. Staff immediately disposed of the infested materials during the inspection.
Lu faces charges under the Environmental Public Health Food Hygiene Regulations for the cockroach infestation and under the Sale of Food Act for providing food that did not meet quality standards demanded by the customer.
SFA prosecutor Mohd Rizal requested a total fine of S$5,500 for Yunhaiyao, noting this represents the company’s first offense. However, District Judge Janet Wang postponed sentencing, stating she required additional information about the case’s impact.
Judge Wang cited significant public interest in the case and requested detailed information about victim injuries, medical interventions required, hospitalization numbers, and medical leave granted to affected employees.
The lunch service on July 30 involved food from Yunhaiyao and another catering company, though only Yunhaiyao’s offerings were linked to the poisoning outbreak. ByteDance, which owns the social media platform TikTok, regularly provides catered meals for employees at its Singapore offices.
Yunhaiyao operates the Yun Nans restaurant chain and provides catering services to corporate clients. The company has not faced previous food safety violations according to court records.
Sentencing proceedings have been scheduled for July 17, pending the court’s review of additional victim impact information requested by Judge Wang.
