Around 100 people suffered food poisoning and had to be taken to hospital with symptoms such as nausea and vomiting after eating spoiled chicken and rice during a traditional event held in the district of İnegöl, in the province of Bursa, in north-western Turkey. The authorities are investigating the incident on suspicion of a possible case of food poisoning caused by spoiled food.
According to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, the incident occurred during a traditional event known as Mevlid-i Şerif and Pilav Günü (Rice Day), which is held in honour of the deceased and took place in the rural neighbourhood of Çitli, a village with a population of around 1,100 in the district of İnegöl, situated some 50 kilometres south-east of the city of Bursa.
During such events, prayers are recited in memory of deceased residents and a communal meal is held. In this instance, in keeping with tradition, chicken and rice was served to around 1,000 people, including local residents and visitors from nearby villages.
Those affected began to experience symptoms hours later
Approximately three hours after the celebration began and the meal was served, some of those present began to experience nausea and vomiting. Those affected went to İnegöl Public Hospital, where it is estimated that around a hundred people were treated for symptoms of food poisoning.
The Turkish gendarmerie has launched an investigation to establish what happened. Although it is suspected that the chicken and rice served during the event may have caused the mass food poisoning, the exact cause will be determined once the tests and analyses have been completed.
This incident comes against a backdrop of concern over food safety in Turkey, following several recent cases of food poisoning and fraud involving food products, which a year ago led to several serious incidents in Istanbul that forced the authorities to tighten controls in cafés and restaurants.
Last March, 25 people were again taken ill and required medical attention in İnegöl after eating chicken döner kebab at various establishments. Furthermore, earlier this October, inspectors detected horse and donkey meat in the meat mixture at a well-known restaurant in Bursa, which was advertised as beef and used to prepare the traditional cantık, a famous local speciality.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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