60 Affected By Food Poisoning At S’pore ByteDance Office, Symptoms Include Vomiting, Diarrhoea & Abdominal Pain

On July 30, a mass food poisoning incident took place at Singapore’s ByteDance office located at One Raffles Quay.

At least 41 people were brought to the hospital and 60 people showed symptoms of gastroenteritis such as vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

ByteDance revealed that the employees fell ill after consuming food provided by an in-house caterer.

Lest you’re unaware, ByteDance owns TikTok, a social media platform known for its short-form content.

17 Ambulances Dispatched 

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received multiple calls for medical assistance starting at around 3:15pm.

In response, 17 ambulances were dispatched to the ByteDance office.

First aid was provided and affected individuals were sent to various hospitals for further treatment.

The company announced to its employees that it was aware that employees at the One Raffles Quay office had become ill after visiting a canteen on the 26th floor.

A buffet section at the canteen is “closed until investigations are complete.”

ByteDance also said they are taking the incident “very seriously” and are working closely with local authorities and caterers to identify the cause as quickly as possible.

“Ongoing medical support assistance” is also provided to the individuals involved.

In addition, a temporary first aid centre has been set up at the office.

“Vomited On The Floor And In The Pantry”

An employee who spoke to CNA said that the canteen on the 26th floor which opens during lunch hours serves “China-style Chinese food” and is “quite popular among employees”.

The employee explained that the vendor was recently engaged around two months ago.

“My colleagues felt nauseous about an hour after lunch (around 3pm). Mostly vomiting and diarrhoea. The toilets were all full and there were people lying on the floor. The whole office smelled like vomit.”

The employee also said that his fellow staff vomited on the floor and in the pantry while cleaners rushed around the office to clean up the mess.

The scene was described to be “very chaotic”.

Investigations

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have launched an investigation into the gastroenteritis cases.

They emphasised that food safety is a joint responsibility. While SFA enforces regulatory measures, food operators must adhere to good food safety practices.

“SFA will not hesitate to take enforcement action against errant food operators,” it added.