Posted on 08/21/2025 6:03:29 AM PDT by Red Badger
TWO people have died and two children are recovering in hospital after several people were poisoned by a toxic batch of guacamole.
The fatally contaminated avocado dip was served up to unsuspecting customers at a food festival before they showed signs of botulism.
School cook Valeria Sollai, 62, is said to have eaten the guacamole and then was rushed to hospital.
But she died on Monday after spending weeks on life support.
Roberta Pitzalis, 38, also ate the same batch of guacamole at the festival in Sardinia - before dying on August 8.
An autopsy confirmed Roberta died from a combination of botulism poisoning and pneumonia.
Several others required hospital treatment following the horrifying ordeal at the Fiesta Latina festival.
The food event took place in Monserrato, in Cagliari, between July 22-24.
One boy and one girl, aged 11 and 14 respectively, remain in hospital and are reported to have eaten from the same batch of guacamole.
A post-mortem for Valeria is set to take place.
She showed signs of recovery before suffering a relapse and tragically dying.
Her cousin Gianni Milia said: "It’s absurd that someone goes out for a relaxing evening, goes to a party, eats a sandwich and ends up in the hospital.
"She was with her sisters, they all ate the same sandwich, but only she fell ill."
She added: "They were celebrating their older sister’s discharge from the hospital. A party turned into a tragedy."
Describing Valeria, Monserrato mayor Tomaso Locci said: “She gave so much for our children.
"The news saddens us deeply. We will be present at the funeral as a community, as we were for Roberta Pitzalis, the other victim.
"This is a loss that affects us all.”
Valeria is survived by her husband, Angelo Aru, and her son Alessandro, a police officer in Campania.
In a Facebook post last month, Alessandro spoke about an unnamed patient with “worsening neurological conditions”.
He also made a heartbreaking appeal for people to be more careful with street food.
He said: "I strongly advise against eating any food sold at street stalls over the next few weeks."
The poisoned 14-year-old girl is being treated at Monserrato Policlinico hospital.
Meanwhile, the 11-year-old has been flown to Rome’s Gemelli Policlinico and is said to be in a serious condition.
It comes amid mounting concern over food safety in Italy following similar events across the country.
Another deadly botulism outbreak was reported in the southern region of Calabria earlier this month.
It also comes after two people in Italy died after eating a toxic veggie and sausage sandwich in Italy.
More than a dozen people were hospitalised after eating the poisoned sandwiches from a food truck near the town of Diamante in Calabria.
Tamara D’Acunto, 45, died shortly after eating the panini made with turnip greens - a vegetable similar to broccoli - last week.
Luigi Di Sarno, 52, also died after taking a fatal bite from a sandwich bought from the same vendor.
In total, 17 other people have so far been hospitalised with food poisoning within 24 to 48 hours of eating the sandwiches.
They all showed signs of botulism - which is caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves.
The illness can lead to muscle paralysis, breathing difficulties and death.
It is typically caused by canned, preserved and fermented foods.
I just watched a youtube about people storing cut avocados with the pits and thinking it would last longer. After 4 days it builds up dangerous levels of bacteria.
Avocadoes have to be eaten the same day they are used.............
If I am in Italy, I am having pasta, polenta, tomato sauce, cheeses, olives, wine, cured meats, bread.
I would NOT have avocados or guacamole. I can get that here in Arizona.
“Fiesta Latina festival”
Sentence was written by the head of The Department of Redundancy Departmemt.
I really doubt that is what happened here. Clostridium botulinum is actually pretty hard to grow. There can’t be any oxygen in the environment where it is grown and it needs to be warm. They would have had to seal the avocado in an airtight, oxygen free container and leave it out of the fridge.
I suppose it’s possible but I doubt it.
The most toxic poison on Earth. It’s like a flea jumping on a freight train and detailing it.
Turnip greens are a vegetable similar to broccoli?
They are both vegetables, but beyond that...
That’s like going to China and ordering a hamburger.............
I see your Carnival cruise post got removed.....probably because of the South Park gif comment spelling out the N word. SMH
Yes, probably was...................
Too bad, it was turning into a hilarious thread. Lol!
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Good news is it’ll happen again....guaranteed.
This stuff never happens on foreign cruises for some odd reason..............
Aw shoot, I was looking to post a picture of Beyoncé in her Cowgirl Outfit to that thread except it seems as all of her images are Getty Images , oh well next time.
“They are both vegetables, but beyond that” ... they’re both green?
Must be!
Or Chuck Schumer’s house...
Fresh avocados aren't going to give you botulism. It might have been some other ingredient, like garlic in oil. Garlic preserved in oil can give you botulism.
I once did an experiment with guacamole. I mixed up a batch with the usual seasonings, including salt, onions, a little garlic, and lemon juice, and then chilled it for an hour. Next, I divided it into three parts: one part I ate as a control, the second part I put back into the refrigerator with Saran Wrap carefully covering it with no air above the top of the guacamole, and the last part I put into a vacuum sealer in a heavy plastic pouch and sealed it without any air.
Nothing was nearly as good as the fresh batch, not even close. The refrigerated batch lasted barely two days, and the vacuum sealed batch stayed bright green for weeks but tasted like library paste when I finally tried it.
If you can find a way to keep guacamole or any avocado dish fresh for a reasonable amount of time you will become a millionaire overnight..................
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