First it was Farine, now a popular dim sum chain is being shut down over food safety concerns in Shanghai.
Shanghai Daily reports that all nine branches as well as the central kitchen of the Hong Kong-style chain LIST (known as 一笼小确幸 in Chinese) were shut down after diners who had eaten at some of the restaurants complained of stomach problems.
The Shanghai Food and Drug Administration ordered the restaurant to suspend all operations, with food and raw materials from all branches sent in for labratory testing. LIST said in a statement that it has closed all outlets and is cooperating with the administration's investigation to conduct checks on staff, materials, equipment and dishwater.
Meanwhile, all the restaurant's listings have been taken down from local listing site Dianping.com and delivery services have been forced to remove it from their menu.
LIST was removed from listings and delivery apps
Signs outside the chain's Metro City (Xuhui) and Super Brand Mall (Pudong New Area) locations say the shops are undergoing interior upgrades.
Several users reported problems online after eating at up to four of the restaurants, according to Shanghai Daily:
"One said that he and four colleagues had lunch at one of the outlets at Super Brand Mall [on July 18] after which four of them suffered fever and gastroenteritis.
"Another said she developed a fever and diarrhea after having a meal at the CapitaLand Hongkou Plaza outlet on July 15. She said she had been put on an intravenous drip for two days.
"Another diner complained that she had suffered a fever of 39.5 degrees and had vomited twice. She posted her medical treatment record online."
The restaurant was considered a wanghong (internet famous) business, with many users often sharing photos of the food to social media.
Businesses selling tainted food that leads to food poisoning can be fined up to 20 times the initial value of the food. In more serious cases, they could have their business licenses revoked.
The move is the latest in the administration's efforts to crack down on food safety.
On March 20, the city introduced some of its most stringent food regulations, increasing the reward for 'whistle blowers' tipping authorities off to food safety incidents to RMB300,000.
The same day the new regulations went into effect, popular French bakery Farine found itself embroiled in an 'expired flour' scandal, which saw at least four people arrested. All Farine branches were closed following the investigation, and their listings removed from Dianping.
The rest of the Franck empire — including Franck Pécol's namesake restaurant Franck Bistrot, Grains (which also WIYF), Rachel's and Far-West — soon followed.
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