Poisoning after eating bread in Ho Chi Minh City: 235 people hospitalized, investigation into cause and responsibility of sales establishments

As of the morning of November 10, Ho Chi Minh City recorded 235 cases of food poisoning after eating bread at Ms. B's Toad Bread shop - location 1 Nguyen Thai Son (Hanh Thong ward) and location 2 Le Quang Dinh (Binh Loi Trung ward).

The patients were transferred to 13 hospitals in the area, of which 96 are being treated as inpatients. Many cases showed symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, high fever, requiring IV fluids and special care.

Military Hospital 175 received the most cases of poisoning after eating bread, 131 of which 23 people are being treated as inpatients.

Gia Dinh People's Hospital has 52 cases, 1 patient tested positive for Salmonella bacteria, a common cause of food poisoning.

In addition, many other hospitals such as Tam Anh, My Duc Tan Binh, Becamex or Trung My Tay also receive similar cases, including pregnant women and children.

Two bakeries have been temporarily closed and all ingredients have been sealed for testing.

Initial results: suspected Salmonella infection causing poisoning

According to data from hospitals, most patients with food poisoning after eating bread showed signs of intestinal infection, suspected to be caused by Salmonella.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has reported the incident to the City People's Committee and the Ministry of Health, and directed hospitals to classify and treat according to food poisoning protocols.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety also coordinated with functional forces to investigate the origin of raw materials, processing, preservation and transportation of bread at the facility.

Ms. B's Toad Bread Shop was registered for business in 2020 and has a food safety knowledge certificate in 2017. However, according to the provisions of the Food Safety Law, production and business establishments are responsible for ensuring safety throughout the process of importing raw materials, processing, preserving and selling.

When food poisoning occurs after eating bread, the owner of the establishment must be responsible for violating hygiene procedures or substandard preservation, even if he has a business license.

In this large-scale bread poisoning incident, the owner of the establishment can be prosecuted at three levels: administrative, criminal and civil. If the processing, storage or bacteria control process violates food safety regulations, the establishment can be administratively sanctioned, have its license revoked or be closed.

In case of serious consequences, many people hospitalized or died, the owner of the facility may be prosecuted under Article 317 of the Penal Code for violating food safety regulations.

Regarding civil liability, people who are poisoned after eating bread have the right to claim compensation for damages under the Civil Code and the Law on Consumer Protection.

Compensation includes medical expenses, hospital fees, medicines, lost income during treatment and mental damage. The maximum compensation can be up to 50 times the base salary if the two parties cannot reach an agreement.

Consumers need to keep the bread purchase receipt, medical records, and hospital receipts as evidence of compensation claims.

In case the investigation results determine that the cause of poisoning after eating bread is due to contaminated input materials (such as pork sausage, pate, raw vegetables, etc.), the owner of the establishment must still be responsible for compensating the customer first, and then has the right to request the supplier to reimburse the corresponding damages.

Currently, health authorities are continuing to investigate to determine the cause and handle it according to the law.