Objective  To examine the incidence of food poisoning associated with dining at worksite or institutional canteens in China from 2002 through 2016 and to provide evidences for prevention of food poisoning.

  Methods  We collected data on reported food poisoning events associated with dinings at workers’ or staff’s canteens across China from 2002 through 2016 via National Foodborne Diseases Surveillance Network and then conducted a retrospective analysis.

  Results  There were 1 810 food poisonings associated with dining at worksite or institutional canteens reported in China during the 15-year period, involving 34 630 sufferers and 25 deaths. More food poisoning events (676, 37.35% of all the events) were reported between 2014 and 2016 and more food poisoning events (741, 40.94%) were reported during the third quarter of a year. Of all the reported poisoning events, 599 (33.09%) occurred in Eastern China; 605 (33.43%) were resulted from consumptions of poisonous plants or animals; 1 055 (58.29%) were associated with the consumption of a single dish, of which, 522 were related to the consumption of vegetable dishes; and 731 (40.39%) of the events were induced by pathogenic or poisonous contamination in food production or processing process.

  Conclusion  During the period from 2002 to 2016 in China, dining at worksite or institutional canteen-related food poisonings mainly occurred in the third quarter of a year and were induced by pathogenic or poisonous contamination of vegetable food in production or processing process.