About 200 employees from BYD Company Limited, a car maker in Shanghai, were hospitalized yesterday with suspected food poisoning.

Some employees began to suffer from vomiting and nausea at about 2 p.m. on Thursday and were sent to Shanghai First People's Hospital.

A total of 200 employees had been sent to the hospital by 5 p.m. and most of them received injections of antibiotics.

About 50 workers are still receiving treatment but the others left the hospital around 8 pm.

All the patients are out of danger, according to the hospital.

According to the company, kidney beans are suspected of causing the mass illness but the hospital has not confirmed the cause.

The local food safety watchdog is investigating the cause of the incident.