The factory, Prima Food, also decided to voluntarily close its 39 Prima Deli bakeries islandwide for one week starting on Wednesday. One outlet sold a chocolate cake contaminated with salmonella bacteria to one of the victims of the food poisoning.
AVA will allow Prima Food to resume operation after the company ensures hygiene and sanitary standards at the factory. The company is now disinfecting the factory.
Prima Food also has recalled and discarded 400 chocolate cakes from PrimaDeli outlets and it is cooperating with AVA and the health ministry in the investigation of the cause of the food poisoning. On Monday, the ministry and AVA announced to the public to throw away leftover cakes bought from PrimaDeli.
According to Channel News Asia, Prima Food had apologized to some 106 people who fell ill after eating contaminated chocolate cakes bought from Nov. 19 to 26.
Of the 106 victims, six were hospitalized and tested positive for salmonella infection, which causes fever, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. The six have already recovered and left hospital.
