Fatal char kway teow incident in Taiwan caused by rice noodles left exposed for 63 hours

5 individuals charged over fatal char kway teow incident in Taiwan

Last year, six customers died of food poisoning after dining at Polam Kopitiam, a Malaysian eatery in Taipei, Taiwan.

fatal char kway teow polam kopitiam

Source: Google Maps

On Tuesday (21 Jan), the case officially concluded, with five individuals charged with negligent homicide.

The food poisoning was caused by contaminated rice noodles that had been improperly stored.

Fatal char kway teow incident caused by rice noodles left at room temperature

According to the Taipei Times, two chefs and an assistant opened packets of kway teow but failed to refrigerate them, leaving them at room temperature.

The packets were opened on 16 March 2024 and stored next to a gutter for the next 63 hours.

During this time, the noodles were mixed with other batches and used to prepare dishes.

Prosecutors also noted that the air conditioning was turned off after business hours, and employees dumped wastewater into the gutter near where the noodles were stored.

This “favourable environment” allowed bacteria to thrive, producing bongkrekic acid — the deadly toxin responsible for the food poisoning.

A total of 33 customers fell ill, suffering from symptoms such as nausea and diarrhoea.

Six of them ultimately died from their illness.

Prosecutors seek jail for franchise owner & chef

Six individuals have been charged with negligence in connection with the incident:

  • Franchise owner, surnamed Li
  • Branch manager, surnamed Wang
  • Head chef, surnamed Chou
  • Substitute chef, surnamed Ho
  • Assistant, surnamed Juan

Prosecutors are seeking the harshest penalty for Ho, with at least four years and two months in prison, due to his lack of remorse and altering his testimony after receiving additional information.

They also call for a minimum four-year sentence for Li, who failed to take responsibility and showed no remorse.

For the remaining three individuals, prosecutors have asked for an “appropriate sentence” but suggested a heavier penalty for Chou due to his direct involvement in handling the contaminated noodles.

The charge of negligent death carries up to five years in prison or a fine of NT$500,000 (approximately S$21,000).

Also read: 2 customers die after suspected food poisoning from eating char kway teow at M’sian restaurant in Taiwan

2 customers die after suspected food poisoning from eating char kway teow at M’sian restaurant in Taiwan

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Featured image adapted from United Daily News and Google Maps.

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