Seventy-two employees from Shanghai Donnelley Printing Co Ltd in Qingpu District suffered suspected food poisoning yesterday, said Shanghai Food and Drug Administration.

No patients had serious complications and all victims have left hospital after treatment, officials said.

Local FDA's Qingpu branch has collected dish samples provided by Shanghai Hongyang Food and Drink Management Co, the only food provider to Donnelley.

Officials are conducting an investigation into Hongyang's operation process and food preparation staff. The food company's workshop has been shut temporarily.

At about 2?AM yesterday, some Donnelley employees suffered symptoms including diarrhea and belly ache and were sent to Zhongshan Hospital's Qingpu branch.

At 1 PM, a total of 72 people had visited the hospital, which gave 40 patients intravenous therapy and 32 oral medication.

All patients were investigated by the district FDA.

Officials from Shanghai Food and Drug Administration said victims had eaten lunch and supper provided by Hongyang on Saturday. Employees in other shifts ate different dishes and didn't report any symptoms.

Hongyang, a Qingpu district food maker, served 3,141 sets of lunch for 39 enterprises and 1,400 sets of supper for 24 enterprises on Saturday.

Donnelley was the only client with staff suffering food poisoning.

Meanwhile, local authorities caught 181 illegal medical agents and investigated 38 cases involving hospitals hiring medical agents to cheat patients last year.

Three private medical facilities had their licenses cancelled for violations, officials from the Shanghai Health Bureau said yesterday.

Cooperating with police, food and drug administration and other government departments, the bureau kicked off a campaign against illegal medical agents last year, when the authorities warned 15 hospitals, confiscated illegal profits, and imposed fines of more than 84,000 yuan (US$11,760).

(Shanghai Daily February 25, 2008)