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Examples of food poisoning from takeout and delivered bento lunch boxes

Here are examples of food poisoning that occurs from takeout and delivered bentos.

Example 1: Staphylococcus aureus food poisoning from cooking staff's fingers

Among those who ate bentos provided at a workshop, 3 of them showed symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting and more from 3 hours to 9 hours after eating.
A health center's investigation showed that the common foods between the patients were the bentos cooked by a restaurant. These bentos had chicken teriyaki, cut omelets, and pickles on rice. They were delivered to the patients through a delivery service different from the restaurant in question.

The results of the inspection showed Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on unsold bentos, wipes from the fingers of cooking staff, and in the patients' feces. The cooking staff who had Staphylococcus aureus bacteria detected on their fingers were cutting the chicken teriyaki and cut omelets with their bare hands, and it is possible that the food became contaminated at this time.

In addition, the bentos were handed to the delivery staff without being sufficiently cooled, so even though they delivered the bentos in a box with ice packs, there is a possibility that they were not sufficiently cooled despite that. The bentos arrived at the venue 3 ½ hours later and were stored at ordinary temperatures for more than 2 ½ hours until the patients ate them. This suggests that the bacteria that attached to the food products when cooking proliferated due to insufficient temperature management. In addition, it was thought that the delivery time should have been adjusted to make the time between cooking and eating shorter, and that the customers should have been informed that they needed to eat the bentos quickly.

Measures especially required for this example

• Wash your hands thoroughly. However, when arranging foods, wear gloves so that your hands do not directly touch the food. In particular, people with cuts or abscesses on their fingers should either not touch foods directly, or they must absolutely wear gloves.
  *Staphylococcus aureus bacteria can be present on mucous membranes such as the openings of the nose, and on wounds. They often attach to your hands when you rub your nose. Rough hands are also a cause, so it's important to engage in preventative care for rough hands every day.
• Sufficiently cool the arranged bentos and be sure to put lids on them.
• Tell delivery service staff to thoroughly manage the temperature.
• You should also tell customers to eat the delivered bentos soon after they arrive – you can do this verbally or through seals and other means.

Causative agents

Example 2: Bacillus cereus food poisoning from rice balls stored at ordinary temperatures

Among those who ate bentos distributed at a meeting, around 20 of them showed symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting from directly after eating to 4 hours after eating. The results of a health center's inspection showed that the common foods between these patients were the bentos cooked by a dining establishment.

After the bentos were cooked, the rice balls were left at ordinary temperatures, and the side dishes were stored in a refrigerator with insufficient cooling. This led to food poisoning bacteria proliferating on them. As for the food arrangement, this was done at guest seats as the work space in the kitchen was insufficient. It took more than 7 hours from cooking to arrangement. The bentos were delivered to the patients by the delivery service in a cardboard box with ice packs, and were stored this way for 2 1/2 hours until they were eaten.

The results of the inspection detected Bacillus cereus bacteria found in the rice balls, several side dishes, swabs taken from the sink, and feces taken from the patients and cooking staff. The restaurant in question cooked bentos only when receiving an order, and did not have enough cooking space or tools for the number of bentos they provided. As the swab inspection detected food poisoning bacteria from the tools and hands, this suggests that cooking in a facility without much space led to arrangements and storing at ordinary temperatures for long times, and also invited contaminants and proliferation of food poisoning bacteria. In addition, it was thought that the delivery time should be adjusted so that the bentos would be eaten soon after delivery, and that the customers should have been informed that they needed to eat the bentos quickly.

Measures especially required for this example

• Wash your hands thoroughly. When arranging foods, wear gloves so that your hands do not directly touch the food.
• Handle bentos in volumes that are appropriate for the size of your kitchen and your cooking ability.
• Do not cook large quantities of rice and noodles at once or make them in advance.
*Many cases of food poisoning caused by Bacillus cereus are caused by leaving cooked rice or boiled pasta out at ordinary temperatures.
• When putting cooked foods into a refrigerator, let the food sufficiently cool after cooking it. (Putting hot foods in the refrigerator raises its inside temperature, causing bacteria to proliferate).
• Food arrangement and cooling are also parts of cooking, so please do them in the kitchen.
• Thoroughly cool arranged bentos and put lids on them.
• Tell delivery service staff to thoroughly manage the temperature.
• You should also tell customers to eat the delivered bentos soon after they arrive – you can do this verbally or through seals and other means.

Causative agents

Example 3: Food poisoning caused by Clostridium perfringens bacteria on boiled foods cooked in advance

Among those who ate bentos cooked at a restaurant, around 70 of them showed symptoms of diarrhea and abdominal pain from 4 hours to 12 hours after eating. A health center's inspection showed that the common foods among the patients were only the bentos cooked by the restaurant. These bentos included boiled chicken, fried eggs, salad, and rice. The restaurant cooked the bentos and handed them at the restaurant to customers who ordered them as takeout bentos.

The inspection results detected Clostridium perfringens bacteria from several side dishes, and feces from the patients and cooking staff. The boiled chicken on which food poisoning bacteria was detected was cooked 2 days before serving, then cooled at room temperature for over 2 hours before being stored in a refrigerator. On the day they were served, they were left at room temperature for over 6 hours, and arranged without reheating.
This incident involved insufficient staff cooking bentos including various side dishes, and it is thought that cooking utensils not being sufficiently cleaned and sterilized, and the storage conditions of the foods being insufficient, gave the opportunity for the attachment and proliferation of food poisoning bacteria.

Measures especially required for this example

• Wash your hands thoroughly. When arranging foods, wear gloves so that your hands do not directly touch the food.
• Handle bentos in volumes that are appropriate for the size of your kitchen and your cooking ability.
• Do not cook food the day before serving. If you must cook food the day before serving, avoid putting it in deep or other similar containers when storing it in the refrigerator. Divide it into portions and quickly store it in the refrigerator after sufficiently cooling it.
• On the day you serve the bentos, you must sufficiently heat them right before serving.
  *Clostridium perfringens bacteria creates spores, so even if you heat the food once and slowly cool it, it may proliferate again. It is important to reheat the food before serving.
• For takeout bentos, please tell customers to eat them soon after they are served. You can do this verbally or through seals and other means.

Causative agents

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Examples of food poisoning from takeout and delivered bento lunch boxes