A chain noodle restaurant in Kaohsiung was shocked to find rat traces, and the Health Bureau inspected it and fined it up to 3 million yuan.

Health Bureau personnel went to the Rehe branch of Beijing Jingchu North Food Restaurant for inspection. (Photo provided by Kaohsiung City Health Bureau)

Some people went to the Rehe store of Beijing Jingchu North Food Restaurant yesterday and were shocked to see a fat rat running on the oil drum in the store. They vomited on the spot and mocked it as a "chef patrol." The Kaohsiung City Health Bureau went to inspect the scene. Although no traces of rats were found at the scene, the business owner admitted that the video footage was true. In addition to being fined up to NT$3 million, five deficiencies in the store were found and required to be improved within a time limit.

The Health Bureau pointed out that it sent personnel to the site for inspection yesterday and found no traces of rats on the spot. However, the owner admitted that the footage in the video was true and showed the cooking work space in the store, which was not open at that time. According to Article 8 of the "Kaohsiung City Public Eating Place Hygiene Management Regulations", the environment of public eating places must not have disease vectors or traces of their presence, and effective prevention and control measures should be implemented. In accordance with Article 47 of the Food Safety and Hygiene Management Act, the operator will be fined NT$30,000 to NT$3 million.

The Health Bureau conducted an on-site inspection in accordance with the "Code of Good Food Hygiene Practices" and found that the business operator had registered as a food business operator and purchased product liability insurance, and had regularly entrusted vector prevention and control operators to clean up. However, in view of deficiencies such as the lack of effective vector prevention and control measures in the workplace, the lack of lids on the trash cans, the failure to place ingredients in separate areas, and the lack of coverage and health inspections for food handlers, the business operators were ordered to make improvements within a time limit. If they failed to improve within the time limit, they would be fined not less than NT$60,000 but not more than NT$200 million in accordance with the law.

The Health Bureau calls on catering operators to set up facilities to effectively prevent the intrusion of disease vectors and implement the three anti-rodent measures of "don't let rats come, don't let rats eat, don't let rats live". Ingredients and kitchen waste should be properly covered, and the environment should be tidied up to avoid the breeding of rats and vectors.