Society

Nitrite caused fatal food poisoning in Sichuan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-11 15:35

CHENGDU -- Health authorities said Monday they had found a huge amount of nitrite in food samples taken from a hotel in southwest China's Sichuan province where food poisoning killed one diner and sickened 42 others Friday.

The victims, mostly tourists and hotel staff, suffered vomiting and nausea after eating breakfast at Pearl Garden Hotel in Luding county of the Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Garze.

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A 47-year-old woman from Guangzhou died in hospital Friday.

The provincial disease control and prevention center said Monday nitrite was found in samples of porridge, pickles, noodles, sugar and other dressings taken from the hotel.

"The test results indicate 10.8 grams of nitrite in every kilogram of noodles, and 11.3 grams of nitrite in every kilogram of porridge," the center said in a press release Monday.

It said 2 to 3 grams of nitrite could be fatal, while health authorities in China considered a maximum 20 mg of nitrite the safe limit in every kilogram of food.

The authorities have ordered the hotel to close pending a full investigation.

As of Monday, most of the patients were recovering. Some were expected to be discharged from hospital.

Among the patients were 33 tourists, eight hotel staff and a child of a hotel employee.

Police are yet to find out how the tragedy happened, though investigators suspect the cooks could have mistaken nitrite for salt. Nitrite is commonly used to prepare pickles and some other foods in Sichuan cuisine.

The hotel is near the Hailuogou (Conch Gully) National Glaciers Park, a major tourist attraction about 300 km from the provincial capital Chengdu.