Suckling pig blamed for leaving 31 ill after Hong Kong wedding banquet
Twenty male and 11 female guests developed abdominal pain and diarrhoea after attending Chinese wedding banquet at hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui
Suckling pigs cooked too early and later contaminated by raw ingredients likely caused food poisoning among 31 guests, including a two-year-old, who attended a Chinese wedding banquet at an upscale hotel in Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection said on Wednesday.
The guests – 20 male and 11 female – developed abdominal pain and diarrhoea about two to 27 hours after dining in the Grand Ballroom of the New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui last Saturday.
The youngest was aged two and the eldest was 75. Only one sought medical attention, and none required hospitalisation.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the affected guests had eaten several dishes in common, including suckling pig, at the banquet.
“Our field investigation revealed the suckling pigs were prepared too early in advance and may have been cross-contaminated by raw food during storage. They were not thoroughly reheated either,” the centre said.
The hotel was instructed to stop serving the implicated food items, clean and disinfect its premises, and provide food safety and hygiene training to staff, it said.