According to the BBC, the affected staff displayed symptoms of gastroenteritis on Tuesday, with 57 requiring hospital treatment.
The outbreak led to the hospitalization of several employees. ByteDance has stated that it is examining the cause of the illness. Notably, the company does not prepare or cook food on-site; instead, it relies on third-party caterers.
Seventeen ambulances were dispatched to the company’s office in Singapore’s business district to assist those who were ill.
A ByteDance spokesperson emphasized the company’s commitment to employee health and safety, stating, “We take the health and safety of our employees very seriously and have taken immediate steps to support all affected employees, including working with emergency services to provide care.”
The spokesperson added that ByteDance is cooperating with the relevant authorities in the investigation.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, stressed the importance of adherence to food safety practices by food operators and warned that enforcement action would be taken against those who fail to comply.
Founded in 2012 by Chinese entrepreneurs, ByteDance achieved early success with the short video app Douyin in China and launched TikTok internationally a year later.
TikTok, which is not available in China, has over a billion active users worldwide and is managed by a limited liability company based in Singapore and Los Angeles, though it remains under ByteDance’s ownership.