At least 130 people have contracted food poisoning at the head office of TikTok in Singapore, with local authorities and parent company ByteDance launching investigations into the incident.
Singapore's Ministry of Health and Food Agency said in a joint statement on Wednesday that of the 130 people who had fallen ill, 17 remained in hospital with gastroenteritis in a stable condition.
Fifty-seven people had been hospitalised on Tuesday.
The remaining patients sought outpatient treatment, self-medicated or had recovered.
Local media reports said that 17 ambulances were dispatched to the offices to treat those who became unwell on Tuesday local time.
A mass decontamination vehicle was also on the scene in Singapore's business district.
A spokesperson for ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, told the ABC that it was investigating the incident.
"We take the health and safety of our employees very seriously and have taken immediate steps to support all affected employees, including working with emergency services to provide care," the spokesperson said.
"We are investigating the matter and are working with the relevant authorities on this."
The ABC understands that ByteDance uses external food catering services in Singapore and does not cook or prepare any food on-site.
Singapore's Food Agency said in a statement on Wednesday that "in view of the severity of the incident" it had suspended the operation of two businesses "until further notice".
Both outlets have been ordered to undergo sterilisation, food handling courses and dispose of all food.
TikTok was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs but has its global headquarters in Los Angeles and Singapore.
Story by : Patrick Martin
Original story : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-01/mass-food-poisoning-tiktok-bytedance-office-singapore/104167474
