Nantou puffer fish poisoning case Food and Drug Administration: Those who violate food safety laws may be fined NT$60,000 to NT$200 million

A Nantou snack bar boiled pufferfish meat and invited neighbors to have dinner with him and he was poisoned. One person died and eight were sent to hospital. The Food and Drug Administration said today that it will test to confirm whether it contains tetrodotoxin and has taken samples of food waste. The Nantou County Health Bureau is clarifying the case. If there is a violation of the Food Safety Law, it does not rule out imposing penalties. According to the law, a fine of NT$60,000 can be imposed. Fines ranging from RMB 100 million to RMB 200 million can be imposed, and businesses with serious circumstances can be ordered to close down or suspend operations.

Hong Nan, who runs a snack bar in Renai Township, Nantou County, cooked puffer fish last night and invited his neighbors and friends for a dinner. This morning, his friend felt unwell. When he went to Hong Nan’s residence to inquire, he found that Hong Nan was lying on the ground and not breathing. Attending the dinner 8 The person was sent to Taichung Veterans General Hospital Puli Branch for treatment, and his life was not in danger.

Lin Jinfu, deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, told the Central News Agency reporter that the Nantou County Health Bureau has taken samples of leftover puffer fish meat, which will be handed over to the Food and Drug Administration’s inspection team for subsequent operations. The samples have not been received at this stage and will be processed soon. After receiving it, it will be processed as quickly as possible to facilitate preliminary clarification of whether there is tetrodotoxin and analysis of the pufferfish species.

Lin Jinfu reminded that tetrodotoxin is a neurotoxin and cannot be destroyed by heating. It is mainly found in pufferfish ovaries, liver, intestines, skin and even muscle tissue. Symptoms such as numbness of the lips and tongue, numbness of hands and feet, headache, dizziness, vomiting, etc. usually occur 10 to 45 minutes after consumption. In severe cases, it may lead to respiratory failure or even death, with a mortality rate of about 61%.

Lin Jinfu pointed out that according to the provisions of Article 15, Paragraph 1, Paragraph 3 of the Food Safety and Hygiene Management Act, food or food additives that are poisonous or contain substances harmful to human health or foreign matter such as pufferfish are not allowed to be manufactured, processed, packaged, transported, It is not allowed to store, sell, import or export, or even give it away as a gift, or display it in public. In principle, restaurants are not recommended to sell it, and people are not encouraged to catch and eat it themselves.

Lin Jinfu pointed out that if an operator provides puffer fish food and people have problems eating it, they can be fined NT$60,000 to NT$200 million according to the law. In serious cases, the operator can be ordered to close down or suspend operations. In addition, it can also be punished with a fixed-term imprisonment of not more than 7 years. A fine of up to 80 million yuan may also be imposed. Although the Nantou puffer fish poisoning case was a gift from friends, the Health Bureau has begun an investigation and will not rule out imposing penalties if there are any illegal facts.

According to statistics from the Food and Drug Administration, food poisoning caused by ingestion of pufferfish has occurred in Taiwan in the past five years. In addition to this reported case, reports were also received in 109 of the Republic of China. Lin Jinfu said that the case at that time was that people caught pufferfish by themselves, cooked it and ate it. Two people had symptoms of discomfort and sought medical treatment, but no one died.

Lin Jinfu pointed out that there are many types of pufferfish and their appearance is difficult to identify. The best way to protect yourself is to avoid catching and eating aquatic products of unknown origin. In addition, it is recommended that catering operators not provide pufferfish for public consumption to avoid accidental ingestion. If symptoms of suspected poisoning occur after using the product, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible and retain food samples to facilitate correct diagnosis and treatment.

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