A Deadly Toxin Found in Chef’s Stool Linked to Fatal Food Poisoning Outbreak at Taipei Eatery
A lethal toxin, identified as bongkrekic acid, was discovered in the stool sample of a chef at a restaurant in Taipei’s Xinyi District, where a food poisoning outbreak occurred, resulting in two fatalities and multiple hospitalizations. The outbreak was traced to the Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam, with 34 individuals falling ill between March 18 and 24, as reported by Focus Taiwan on April 6.
Of those affected, two have died, seven remain in the hospital, and 25 are recovering at home. Four of the hospitalized individuals are in critical condition. The toxin, bongkrekic acid, was detected in the chef’s stool sample collected on March 27, as confirmed by Deputy Health Minister Victor Wang in a Facebook post. Earlier samples from the chef’s hands on March 24 also tested positive for the deadly toxin.
Bongkrekic acid is a highly lethal toxin, with a minute dose of 1mg capable of causing fatality in humans. The same toxin was found in most of the sickened diners, according to local media reports.
Deputy Health Minister Wang clarified that the chef’s health condition is normal, and subsequent blood and urine tests for the toxin on April 5 returned negative results. Wang suggested that the chef might not have consumed the contaminated food but only ingested a trace amount of the acid, which his body then metabolized.
Environmental samples collected from the chef’s home on March 30 tested negative for Burkholderia gladioli, the bacterium responsible for producing bongkrekic acid. However, the search for the bacterium is considered the “key to the incident,” according to Wang. Health ministry inspectors collected additional samples from two other places the chef visited on April 4 to test for the bacterium.
At present, contaminated flat rice noodles in char kway teow are believed to be the primary source of the outbreak. The two fatalities include a 39-year-old man who dined at the restaurant on March 22 and died two days later, and a 66-year-old man who ate there on March 19 and died on March 27.
All Polam Kopitiam outlets have been ordered to close during the ongoing investigations. Although the restaurant passed a food safety inspection in 2022, Taipei health inspectors who visited the eatery after the outbreak discovered cockroach droppings, improper knife storage, and a lack of employee health records, as reported by local media.
A special prosecutor is overseeing the investigation, according to local media reports. The investigation aims to determine the root cause of the outbreak and ensure that appropriate measures are taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. The restaurant chain’s response and cooperation with the investigation will be crucial in maintaining its reputation and regaining the trust of its customers.