Queensland restaurant accidentally serves customer poison instead of salt
When a man asked for salt while eating lunch at Top One Chinese Restaurant in Queensland’s Australia Fair shopping centre, he was given something else entirely.
Court documents reveal the diner was mistakenly served a shaker filled with caustic soda – the corrosive chemical used in detergents and drain cleaners.
After sprinkling the “salt” on his food and then eating it, the man suffered severe acid burns to his mouth, which started blistering and bleeding.
According to health officers, several unlabelled tubs containing white substances were found in the restaurant’s kitchen.
Terry Moore from the Gold Coast Public Health Unit says the incident should serve as a warning to restaurants around the country.
“Poisons such as caustic soda should be appropriately labelled and stored safely,” he told 9News. “Staff must also be trained in the safe use and storage of poisons.”
The restaurant’s owner, Xiaoxue (Sophia) Sun, pled guilty to the September 2016 incident, receiving a fine of $5,000 and a company fine of $20,000.