French health authorities have confirmed two cases of botulism following the consumption of a product manufactured in Spain.
The results of the investigation carried out by the Directorate General of Food (DGAL) were shared with the Spanish authorities. The two patients live in Brittany and ate tortillas produced in Spain by a factory belonging to the Palacios group. The consumed batch expired on September 13. Tortillas are also known as Spanish omelette and include potatoes, onions and eggs.
This is the second time in recent years that the company’s products have been linked to cases of botulism.
Recall in France
A withdrawal and recall of several items produced by Palacios and sold in supermarkets throughout France have been ordered.
Products with the name Tortilla aux onions 500-grams were sold in stores of Intermarche and Netto, under the brand “Itineraire de nos flavors.” Fresh onion tortilla and Fresh plain tortilla 500-grams were sold in Carrefour stores.
Analyzes from the National Reference Center for Botulism at the Institut Pasteur confirmed the presence of Clostridium botulinum in the remains of the product consumed by one of the patients.
The Spanish Food and Nutrition Safety Agency (AESAN) said it had been informed by French authorities, via the Rapid Alert System for Food and Animal Feed (RASFF), of two cases of botulism linked to the consumption of food under the Route des Saveurs brand.
AESAN transmitted all information relating to the case to local authorities via the Coordinated System for Rapid Exchange of Information (SCIRI). At the moment there is no evidence that the batch concerned was sold in Spain.
Previous incident
In 2023, 12 cases of botulism were reported. The patients ranged in age from 23 to 77 years and seven were men. Two cases were each reported in Italy and Norway in people who had stayed in Spain. Seven people were hospitalized and four were admitted to the intensive care unit. Hospital stays ranged from 11 to 69 days. It was suggested that consumers did not properly follow handling and storage recommendations.
In July 2023, Grupo Empresarial Palacios Alimentación announced the withdrawal of the affected items and the temporary suspension of production. Operations resumed in August. The presence of Clostridium botulinum or toxins was not detected in the samples collected. However, items consumed by patients were not available for analysis.
Botulinum poisoning is a rare but potentially fatal illness caused by toxins produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. In the case of foodborne botulism, symptoms usually begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, they can occur as early as six hours or as long as 10 days later. It can cause sudden death due to its ability to paralyze the muscles used for breathing.
People who have consumed these products are advised to be extremely vigilant and seek medical attention if they experience symptoms such as vision problems, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, difficulty speaking, or difficulty breathing. Consumers who still have the products are asked not to eat them, not open them and throw them away.
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