14 food poisoning cases in Hong Kong from Cafe de Coral’s Lunar New Year dish

Authorities say group ate poon choi for dinner in university dormitory, with cross-contamination of raw and cooked food blamed for cases

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Staff from the Centre for Health Protection and the Centre for Food Safety are investigating. Photo: Eugene Lee

Published: 9:31pm, 28 Jan 2025Updated: 9:34pm, 28 Jan 2025

Fourteen people have fallen ill with food poisoning in Hong Kong after eating a festive dish from restaurant chain Cafe de Coral.

The Centre for Health Protection said on Tuesday the cluster involved six men and eight women aged between 18 and 23. They ate poon choi from Cafe de Coral for dinner in a university dormitory on Wednesday last week.

The 14 developed fever, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea from 25 to 58 hours after the meal. Eight sought medical help, but none required hospitalisation.

The dish, a popular choice at Lunar New Year, is regularly served in a large pot filled with layers of ingredients that may include pork, chicken, prawns, scallops, vegetables and more.

Staff from the Centre for Health Protection and the Centre for Food Safety investigated the chain’s restaurant at Kin Liong Mansion in Kennedy Town.

A screen capture from Cafe de Coral’s website shows the fast food chain’s version of poon choi. Photo: Handout

The cross-contamination of raw and cooked food during the preparation process is suspected to be the cause of the food poisoning cases.