SFA lifts suspension of Putien following ByteDance food poisoning saga

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has lifted the suspension of Pu Tien Services at 2 Senoko South Road, the statutory board announced in an Aug. 10 joint statement with the Ministry of Health.

Putien had "implemented the required measures as stipulated by SFA", it said, and was thus allowed to resume operations.

Previously, SFA suspended the operations of two food caterers — Pu Tien Services and Yun Hai Yao — on Jul. 31, 2024.

This was in light of a mass gastroenteritis incident at the ByteDance office, which affected 169 individuals and hospitalised 17.

All 17 have since been discharged.

Following the incident, Putien issued a statement on Jul. 30 saying that those with food poisoning had not consumed their food.

Measures taken

The agencies noted that Pu Tien Services had since taken various measures, including:

• Disposing of all ready-to-eat food, thawed food, and perishable food items
• Cleaning and sanitising of premises, including equipment and utensils
• Disinfecting of food preparation surfaces, tables, and floors

Staff members also re-attended and passed various relevant food safety and hygiene courses.

Close surveillance

SFA said that it will continue to place Pu Tien Services "under close surveillance" to ensure it adheres to food safety requirements.

It added that it is considering the findings from the investigation, and will not hesitate to take enforcement action if operators are found to be in violation of the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations.

If found liable, offenders may be fined up to S$2000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, be subject to a fine of S$100 for every day or part thereof that the offence continues after conviction.

In a statement posted on Facebook the same day, Putien announced the resumption of its catering services and highlighted that it had "fully cooperated with the regulators" throughout the investigations.

It added that it had sent samples of the food delivered to ByteDance's office on Jul. 30 for third-party laboratory testing and analysis, which confirmed that all safety regulations were met.

The results also confirmed that listeria and salmonella — bacteria known to cause food poisoning — were not detected in the samples, Putien said.

"This has been a challenging period for our more than 500 colleagues in Singapore, who have shown resilience and dedication throughout the investigations," the statement said.

"These results reaffirm our commitment to upholding the highest standards of food safety and quality."

Practising hygiene

SFA and MOH also reminded food operators to observe good food and personal hygiene practices, and advised members of the public who observe poor hygiene practices in food establishments to make a report to SFA via this feedback form.

Furthermore, individuals are reminded to practise good personal hygiene at all time, such as washing hands with soap and water before eating, and abstaining from sharing food and drinks with others, the joint statement added.

Top image via Seungjun Kim/Google Maps