TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Health and Welfare's Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 食藥署) announced on Monday (Nov. 18) the results of a crackdown on all-you-can-eat restaurants. Inspectors found seven cases of beverages and ice products failing to meet standards, resulting in fines totaling NT$240,000.
Inspectors tested 182 finished products and ingredients, identifying seven beverages and ice products that did not comply with microbiological hygiene standards. The list of penalized establishments includes the well-known Lakeshore Hotel (煙波大飯店) and Chiba Hot Pot (千葉火鍋).
Wei Ren-ting (魏任廷), director of the FDA's Southern Center, reported inspections of 120 restaurants. Authorities found 13 establishments with registration issues, 38 with good hygiene practice (GHP) deficiencies, four with documentation issues, and six with standardized contract deficiencies. All non-compliant businesses have since rectified the issues within the given deadlines.
Wei noted that the non-compliance with Enterobacteriaceae standards could stem from various factors, including water quality, equipment, storage of raw materials, or personnel hygiene. In this inspection, Chiba Hot Pot's strawberry ice cream registered 3,000 CFU/mL, significantly exceeding the 10 CFU/mL standard.