Milk tea shop in Iloilo shut down amid complaints of food poisoning

Published September 27, 2013 4:34pm

Local authorities in Iloilo have ordered the temporary shutdown of a milk tea shop in Iloilo City after a total of 34 people showed signs of food poisoning after consuming milk tea from the store.

In a phone interview with GMA News Online, Iloilo City Health Officer Dr. Urminico Baronda said 21 of the 34 customers who went to Dakasi Milk Tea shop in Barangay San Rafael in Mandurriao district were rushed to the hospital since Thursday morning due to vomiting, stomach pains and diarrhea, which were all signs of food poisoning.

The other customers also reported suffering the same symptoms but were no longer confined.

All 21 patients reported consuming milk tea from Dakasi between September 24 and 25, with most of them ordering milk tea with egg pudding, Baronda added.

The Dakasi Milk Tea outlet in Iloilo has been temporarily shut down pending the release of the results of an investigation being done by the city health office and the Department of Health.

"We have sent samples of the drink to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in Manila to determine whether it is really contaminated," Baronda said.

Dakasi statement

Dakasi Philippines, the owner of the milk tea shop in Iloilo, said in a statement that while it is "truly sorry" for the distress suffered by the victims, it would be premature at this point to attribute their condition to the consumption of milk teas from the shop.

"We are truly sorry to hear about these unfortunate incidents. It is premature to make any conclusions at this moment, however please be assured that we have always put our customers' satisfaction and well-being as our #1 priority. Right now the Dept of health and the city health office are already conducting an official investigation. We will be cooperative, and send everyone an update once we have it," it said.

In response to queries over the safety of the pearls it uses on the drinks, Dakasi Philippines also posted on its Twitter account a photo showing the results of a quality control test done on the ingredient.

The photo showed that the pearls tested negative for maleic acid, a food additive that can cause kidney failure if it is consumed in high doses over a long period of time.

Ben Jason Chang

Meanwhile, Baronda said authorities are still investigating if 27-year-old Ben Jason Chang died due to complications from drinking an allegedly contaminated drink from Dakasi Milk Tea shop.

A report from the local newspaper The Daily Guardian said Chang died from severe dehydration that caused his kidneys to fail and his heart to beat erratically. He was said to have bought milk tea from the shop prior to his hospitalization.

A relative of Chang, however, denied that drinking contaminated milk tea led to Ben Jason's death.

In a Facebook post, Rachel Chang said Ben died "due to the negligence and carelessness of some healthcare professionals at a private hospital." Rachel did not specify where her relative was confined.

"[His death] was not primarily because of drinking milk tea at Dakasi. So for those who do not know the exact reason, stop posting and spreading news," she said. — Xianne Arcangel/RSJ, GMA News

Tags: foodpoisoning, iloilocity