13 in Hong Kong fall victim to suspected food poisoning after eating Taiwan sandwich brand
Centre for Health Protection investigating after 12 women and one man fall ill after consuming foods from Horng Ryen Jen Cake and Biscuits Store
Thirteen people have fallen victim to suspected food poisoning after eating a well-known brand of sandwich from Taiwan.
The Centre for Health Protection was investigating after 12 women and one man aged between 23 and 61 developed symptoms of gastroenteritis such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever after eating sandwiches from Horng Ryen Jen Cake and Biscuits Store, a popular shop in Taichung.
Ten people sought medical help, three of whom were admitted to hospital.
Two of those hospitalised had been discharged as of Friday night, but one was still in Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin.
The sandwiches were obtained from three different sources. In the first case, four women ordered 24 sandwiches via a Facebook page named Peachy Sweet and collected them from a store on the third floor of the Argyle Centre in Mong Kok on July 25. They did not follow package instructions on storing the sandwiches before consumption. All of them visited doctors, while one was sent to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan and later discharged.
Peachy Sweet sells skin care and make-up products and its store is on the third floor of the Argyle Centre Phase One. A website using the same name and logo was contacted by the Post on Friday night. “We don’t sell sandwiches … [The incident] does not have anything to do with us,” a staff member said.
In the second case, three women and a man bought six sandwiches from Apita supermarket in Taikoo Shing on July 28. Two saw doctors, and one of those was still in Prince of Wales Hospital on Friday night.
The victims in the other two cases bought the sandwiches from City’super at Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui on July 24 and 27. One was sent to Tuen Mun Hospital and has since been discharged.
The victim still in hospital was said to be in a stable condition.
“Members of the public should avoid consuming cooked or ready-to-eat food that has been kept at room temperature for several hours,” a spokesman for the centre said.
