Credit: Tamara D’Acunto via Facebook & Adobe Stock

Woman Becomes Latest To Die From ‘Toxic Broccoli’ Sandwich As 17 Others Are Hospitalized

A 45-year-old woman has become the second to die in a devastating outbreak after consuming a contaminated broccoli sandwich.

Tamara D’Acunto lost her life on Wednesday, August 6, following intensive care treatment for poisoning after eating a sandwich containing sausage and greens purchased from a local food truck in Calabria, Italy.

Her death comes just days after 52-year-old musician Luigi Di Sarno became the first confirmed victim of the outbreak, dying after consuming a similar sausage and broccoli sandwich from the same vendor in Diamante, Calabria.

The outbreak has sent shockwaves through Italy’s public health system, with at least 17 people now hospitalized showing signs of poisoning.

Among those affected are two 17-year-olds and two women in their 40s, with five patients currently fighting for their lives in intensive care units across the region, per LBC.

The contaminated products, identified as broccoli preserved in oil, have prompted authorities to immediately seize the food truck and launch a comprehensive investigation.

The Paola Public Prosecutor’s Office is now examining what officials describe as one of the most serious foodborne illness outbreaks in recent Italian history.

Botulism, caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, represents one of the most dangerous forms of food poisoning.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the toxins produced by this bacterium attack the body’s nervous system, leading to muscle paralysis, breathing difficulties, and in severe cases, death.

The disease proves fatal in approximately 5-10% of cases, making swift medical intervention crucial for survival.

Symptoms typically include blurred vision, fatigue, difficulty swallowing, and progressive muscle weakness that can spread to the respiratory muscles.

Ten individuals are currently under investigation in connection with the outbreak, including the street vendors who operated the food truck, medical professionals who treated the victims, and managers from companies responsible for manufacturing the contaminated products.

A prosecutor involved in the case suggested that cross-contamination may have occurred through the use of shared kitchen equipment, stating, per AOL, that they assumed ‘the owner of the vehicle in question had only used one kitchen tool to handle the food. Otherwise, it’s inexplicable.’

However, Francesco Liserre, the lawyer representing the street vendor, has strongly defended his client’s practices.

“The products on sale at the food truck were stored in the refrigerator and opened when needed,” Liserre insisted, adding that his client is ‘devastated’ by the tragedy and ‘convinced that the contamination was already in the products.’

Italian health authorities have activated emergency protocols to manage the crisis, with Maria Rosaria Campitiello, Head of the Department of Prevention, Research, and Health Emergencies, confirming per UNILAD that patients are receiving ‘lifesaving antidote treatments.’

The specialized antivenom required for botulism treatment is exclusively controlled by Italy’s Ministry of Health and distributed through the Lombardy Poison Control Centre in Pavia.

As the number of cases increased, emergency aircraft were deployed to transport additional supplies from military pharmacies and hospitals across the country.

“No region or hospital in the country is authorized to store the antivenom in their own facilities,” officials explained, highlighting the complexity of treating this rare but deadly condition.

The tragedy extends beyond the food truck incident, with authorities investigating related cases across multiple Italian regions.

In Sardinia, 38-year-old Roberta Pitzalis died from botulism after eating contaminated guacamole at the Fiesta Latina festival in Cagliari, with eight other festival-goers hospitalized, including an 11-year-old boy still in intensive care, The Independent reports.

Police raids on the festival’s headquarters uncovered approximately $40,000 worth of improperly stored food products, including rice, tomato paste, and flour, though no additional contaminated guacamole was discovered.

The Italian Ministry of Health has issued urgent recalls for four Neapolitan-style friarelli (broccoli rabe) products bearing the brand names Bel Sapore and Vittoria.

Health experts are urging the public to exercise extreme caution when purchasing preserved foods and to avoid consuming products from containers where safety seals have been compromised.

“It should be noted that the foods at risk of botulinum toxin are homemade preserves prepared vacuum-packed, in oil, or in water, and, rarely, industrial products,” health officials warned. “This is why it is important to follow the rules for the correct and safe preparation and storage of food.”

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