56 people sickened at Ankeny (Iowa) reception

Des Moines Register ^ | 3/09/03 | DEANNA TRUMAN-COOK

[Free Vulcan]

Erin and Mark Davis spent their wedding night at the hospital, along with dozens of their guests who had a form of blood poisoning apparently caused by something they ingested at the couple's wedding reception Saturday."People started fainting one after another," said Stephanie Ong, Erin Davis' personal attendant. She said the bride also was sickened.

[Free Vulcan]

This was the wedding of a relative of my co-coordinator for a local campaign in '02. Her mother father and daughter attended, as did her sister's kids. Thankfully no one was killed and the youngest of her's and her sisters kids didn't drink any punch.

They were originally told this was cyanide, now they are saying it was sodium nitrite. The first thing we thought when they said cyanide was terrorism, now it's a bit more murky. They are checking the supply chain to track it down.

[Free Vulcan]

 People & Places

Wedding's punch had contaminant

By BRIANNA BLAKE
Register Staff Writer
03/11/2003

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Toxic levels of a common color additive or preservative used in meat and fish were found in punch served at a weekend wedding in Ankeny at which dozens became ill, state health department officials said Monday.

The levels of sodium nitrite were found to be "off the charts," said disease investigator Dr. Tom Boo. The levels caused a rare form of blood poisoning that sent about 60 guests to emergency rooms Saturday.

"If they would've drank more, and didn't get treated in time, it could've killed them," Boo said after he reviewed test results from the State Hygienic Lab in Des Moines.

Twenty-five children and 31 adults who attended Erin and Mark Davis' wedding reception at Ankeny Baptist Church were treated for methemoglobinemia, which cuts off the flow of oxygen in the blood to cause headaches, low blood pressure, dizziness, vomiting and shortness of breath.

Neither health department officials nor Ankeny police would name the caterer hired for the wedding. An attendant of the bride, Stephanie Ong, said the punch was provided by someone other than the food caterer.

All of those treated have been released and are expected to recover with no long-term health effects, officials said.

It is still unknown how and where the sodium nitrite got into the punch. Officials think the drink was contaminated accidentally.

[EggsAckley]

My first thought was the rubber chicken or the jello salad.
;o)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Isn't this what goes into bacon and ham ?

[Free Vulcan]

Yeah, pretty sure. Know is it used for meat, but not punch.

[LostThread]

Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and its close relative sodium nitrite (NaNO2) are preservatives that you find in lots of processed meats. Stuff like salami, hot dogs, pepperoni, bologna, ham, bacon and SPAM all normally contain sodium nitrate as one of the ingredients. Fresh meats generally do not contain any added chemicals, so the question is, "Why is sodium nitrate added to all of these processed meats?"

There are two reasons for adding these chemicals to processed meats:

They preserve the color of the meat (meaning that it looks pink like SPAM rather than gray like cooked hamburger). You have probably noticed that nearly all meats that contain sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite remain pink or red even though they are cooked during processing.
These chemicals inhibit botulism to some degree.
The jury is out on how harmful these substances are. Sodium nitrite reacts with stomach acid and other chemicals in the stomach to produce nitrosamines, which have been shown to cause cancer in animals when consumed in large quantities. However, there's not much sodium nitrate/nitrite in meats, and we consume sodium nitrate/nitrite from other foods as well, so it is not clear that they are harmful in the quantities we get from meats. Some people recommend that small children and pregnant women avoid these chemicals altogether just to be safe. Since neither canned chicken nor tuna have any redness to protect, they generally do not contain nitrates.

[dc-zoo]

."People started fainting one after another," said Stephanie Ong, ...Sounds more like someone cut a really bad one.

[E Rocc]

My first thought was that Dennis Kucinich or Hellary made an appearance. >:0

-Eric

[Eric in the Ozarks]

That would be Clinton, IA., not Ankeny.

[blackdog]

I would refrain from using any caterer that is owned or staffed by any of our Muslem enemies. Ever since I was hospitalized for three weeks with food poisoning and lost some of my intestines, I steer clear of all salad bars, all you can eat buffet's, and any city food vending carts.

It was mango's that darn near killed me but I take no chances.

[vetvetdoug]

I have seen this toxicity in cattle eating Johnson Grass after the first freeze. Sodium Nitrates build up in the grass and when the cows eat it they show the same symptoms. When I read the article I thought of cyanide or the sodium nitrate toxicity. The treatment is sodium thiosulfate or methylene blue.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I gave up raw oysters. The last ones I had were great. I'd like to remember them that way.