Broccoli recall in Italy after botulism case

A nationwide broccoli recall is underway in Italy after a man died and nine people were hospitalised from a contaminated sandwich.

Italy recalls broccoli after fatal botulism case

A mass recall of broccoli is underway in Italy after Luigi Di Sarno, a 52-year-old musician, died and nine others were hospitalised after eating a broccoli and sausage sandwich from a food truck on the Diamante seafront in the province of Cosenza. Two teenagers are among the victims treated at Annunziata Hospital, with several patients still in intensive care. Officials say the illness is linked to toxins from Clostridium botulinum. There are unconfirmed reports of another death at a festival in Sardinia linked to tainted food. Calabria's health department activated the emergency procedure and notified the Poison Control Center in Pavia. The Ministry of Health centralises the antivenom stock and has begun distributing additional vials from Taranto to Rome to speed care.

The episode tests how quickly a local food safety incident can become a national concern. It highlights the pressure on public health agencies to move fast while keeping the public calm. It also raises questions about how street food safety is monitored and how authorities fund and coordinate emergency responses across regions. The reliance on centralized antivenom stock and air transport shows both logistical strength and vulnerabilities in the system.

Highlights

Safety twice over today means trust tomorrow