French authorities have opened an investigation on charges of "manslaughter and involuntary injury" after 15 cases of poisoning, one of which resulted in death, linked to the consumption of canned sardines in a restaurant in Bordeaux, southwestern France. Fifteen customers of the suspected restaurant, some of whom hold American, Canadian, Irish, Greek, and British nationalities, have been identified as "suspected cases of botulism," according to the latest report from health authorities released on Friday.
The common factor among these individuals was their consumption of locally produced canned sardines at a bar called "Chin Chin" between September 4 and 10 in Bordeaux, which hosted the first two matches of the 2023 Rugby World Cup (Ireland vs. Romania and Wales vs. Fiji) over the past weekend. A 32-year-old woman died in her home in Paris after being admitted to the hospital in severe pain. The prosecution stated that an autopsy was conducted on Friday, with results expected by early next week.
Among the other cases, 11 individuals remain hospitalized in France and abroad (one in Spain and two in England), including six who are still in intensive care at Bordeaux University Hospital, according to the regional health agency in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The preliminary investigation also concerns the "marketing of food harmful to health" and the "sale of spoiled or toxic food."
The penalties for those involved range from two to five years in prison and fines between €45,000 and €600,000. Food poisoning known as botulism is a rare and severe neurological condition that causes death in 5 to 10 percent of cases, caused by a highly potent toxin produced by bacteria that thrive particularly in improperly preserved foods due to insufficient sterilization. It can lead to eye problems (double vision), difficulty swallowing, and in advanced cases, muscle paralysis, particularly of the respiratory muscles, which may result in death.
