In southern Vietnam, over 500 people got sick after eating bánh mì sandwiches from a local bakery. Twelve of them, including two young boys, are in critical condition. The bakery, located in Dong Nai province, has been closed temporarily. The sandwiches may have gone bad due to the hot weather. An initial check found that the bakery didn’t follow food safety rules.
Bánh mì is a popular Vietnamese sandwich made with a French-style baguette filled with cold meats, pâté, and veggies. On April 30, at least 560 people fell ill after eating sandwiches from Bang bakery in Long Khanh city. The authorities in Long Khanh Town said that 200 people have been released from the hospital. The bakery, situated on Tran Quang Dieu Street, sells about 1,100 sandwiches daily.
More people have been getting sick every day, according to local hospitals. The symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and stomach pains. One woman, Tran Ngoc Phuong, shared that her three children got sick after eating sandwiches with extra meat. They all started showing signs of food poisoning within a day.
Health officials found E. coli in the blood tests of some critically ill patients. E. coli is a bacteria usually found in fresh foods like beef, cheese, and fruits. The Health Department is investigating the cause of the outbreak. They’ve taken a sandwich sample to a lab for testing. Police are also looking into the matter.
