Maryborough’s Fortune Chinese Restaurant fined $30k for salmonella outbreak

A horrifying list of hygiene and safety issues at a popular Chinese restaurant left 16 customers with salmonella poisoning, with two so gravely ill they suffered permanent kidney damage. Here is what was revealed in court.

A popular Chinese restaurant in Maryborough has been fined $30,000 after 16 customers came down with food poisoning after a meal at the venue, with two of them becoming seriously ill.

Zai Jiao Xiao and Gan Ming Ruan, owners of Fortune Chinese Restaurant, both pleaded guilty to selling unsafe food when they appeared before Maryborough Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

According to court documents, 16 people fell ill with salmonella poisoning after dining at the restaurant on March 21, 2021.

Their symptoms began in the early hours or morning on March 22, with all but three either going to hospital or visiting a doctor.

The documents said in March 2021, the restaurant was operating a buffet-style, all-you-can-eat dinner service, in contravention of a public health order not to operate self-serve buffets.

Zai Jiao Xiao and Gan Ming Ruan, owners of Fortune Chinese Restaurant in Maryborough, both pleaded guilty to selling unsafe food.

Of the 16 people who fell ill after dining at the restaurant on March 21, six tested positive to the same strain of salmonella, according to documents presented to the court.

The matter came to the attention of the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service after a woman posted on social media and others also complained of becoming ill.

An investigation commenced and those suffering from symptoms filled out a questionnaire, with all saying they had dined at the restaurant that night.

Not all of those questioned could remember what they had eaten that night, but the common dishes appeared to be chicken and pork, according to the court documents.

In the aftermath of the incident, the restaurant was inspected twice.

A number of issues were identified, including lack of temperature control, topping up food in the bain marie instead of putting in new batches, inappropriate storage and refreezing thawed chicken.

Lack of effective cleaning was also identified, with a common sink used to wash dishes and prepare food.

One of the customers was diagnosed with salmonella gastroenteritis and pancreatitis, along with an “acute kidney injury” according to the documents, while another woman also suffered an acute kidney injury and her kidneys began to shut down.

On March 30, 2021, an inspection was carried out at the restaurant, with food samples and environmental samples testing negative for salmonella.

The menu list for the March 21 buffet was requested and a sign was posted on the door saying the buffet was not to be used by customers.

On April 15, another inspection was carried out at the restaurant and another eight samples of food and surfaces were tested and were negative for salmonella, although a conversation between inspectors and the owners revealed ongoing concerns regarding temperature control, the court documents read.

An inspection in February 2022 revealed the restaurant had changed its processes regarding food preparation, with food cooked fresh every day and food thawed in the fridge not being frozen again.

There was no mention of any temperature testing, but food was no longer topped up in the bain marie, with new food brought in separately.

According to court documents, the offending was limited to one night and the defendants had been cooperative.

Testing in the following weeks indicated the contamination had not spread.

However, the restaurant had a concerning history of non-compliance with food safety standards, according to documents presented to the court.

In September 2010, an improvement notice had been issued in regards to the storage and temperature control of food and not following proper cleaning or sanitation processes.

The restaurant had inspections nine times, including reinspections between April 2010 and January 2019, according to documents before the court.

In January, 2019, the restaurant got a D for food safety on a rating scale, with A being the best result and E being the worst.

It was found the handwashing facilities were not compliant and there were maintenance issues.

After the food poisoning incident in March, 2021, the restaurant received an E rating, and in the follow-up inspection in April a rating of D was received.

The defendants had no prior criminal history.

Both Xiao and Ruan were fined $15,000, bringing the total fine to $30,000.

No convictions were recorded.