Jinhua Junior High School food poisoning allegations spark political dispute

A political dispute has emerged in Taipei regarding allegations of food poisoning at Jinhua Junior High School. DPP legislator Chien Shu-pei claimed that after consuming a lunch containing squid, multiple classes and staff rooms experienced symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting. She further alleged that the Taipei Education Bureau had responded passively to the situation.

In response, Taipei Mayor candidate Shen Po-yang criticized the city government, suggesting that instead of dismissing the claims as rumors, officials should simply test the food samples and report the results to the public. He argued that dismissing the students' experiences as misinformation was inappropriate.

Conversely, legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin challenged the allegations, citing investigations by the Education Bureau and the school. According to the investigation, only one student experienced diarrhea and two others reported different discomforts, with no evidence of widespread illness among the nearly 1,300 students and staff who ate the same meal. Hsu questioned the lack of evidence for a mass poisoning event and called for an apology from Chien and Shen for their involvement in spreading unverified claims.