Five charged after deadly Bongkrekic acid outbreak

Five people have been charged in relation to a fatal food poisoning outbreak that occurred last year in Taiwan.

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office announced the charges after investigating the incident at the Polam Kopitiam restaurant.

The outbreak led to at least 33 cases and six deaths in March 2024. The rare toxin, Bongkrekic acid, which is produced by the bacterium Burkholderia gladioli pathovar cocovenenans, was responsible for illnesses. Sick people ate cooked wet rice noodles in the same eastern Taipei shopping mall’s restaurant.

Bongkrekic acid was detected on samples from one of the chef’s hands in the restaurant but no food samples from the restaurant or its suppliers, including two types of rice noodles, showed contamination.

Local media reported that prosecutors are seeking a sentence of more than four years for the franchise owner, four years and two months for the substitute cook, a “heavy punishment” for the head chef, and “appropriate penalties” for the store manager and an intern.

According to prosecutors, a basket of noodles had been left unrefrigerated and was used over the next few days to make meals for customers.

The Ministry of Justice has also helped the families of the six victims to apply for compensation. Each family will receive NT$1.8 million (U.S $55,000).

Examination by experts from National Taiwan University’s Department of Forensic Medicine revealed the presence of Bongkrekic acid in the blood of one of the deceased, marking the first-ever detection of the toxin in Taiwan, according to a study published in the Journal of Infection. All patients with severe illness tested positive for Bongkrekic acid.

Most of the victims were young to middle-aged people, including 13 males and 20 females and developed symptoms within 12 hours.

Bongkrekic acid poisoning symptoms often begin with gastrointestinal distress, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, as well as muscle weakness, dizziness, and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, the condition can rapidly progress to multi-organ failure.

There is no antidote for Bongkrekic acid poisoning and no standardized treatment protocols for affected individuals. Patient care typically involves providing symptomatic relief and supportive measures.

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