Two separate botulism outbreaks have been reported in Italy in summer 2025 — one linked to broccoli in oil from a food truck in Calabria, the other tied to guacamole at a Sardinian festival. At least two people have died, and several remain in hospital, including an 11-year-old boy in intensive care. Botulism is rare — about 1,000 cases worldwide each year — but it’s one of the most serious forms of food poisoning. The science to prevent it has been known for over a century, but it only works if every step is done right.
Topics covered in this video:
What botulism is and how it affects the body
How to prevent botulism
A look back at the 1919 olive tragedy that changed food safety rules in the US
Sources:
https://www.itv.com/news/2025-08-11/man-52-dies-after-eating-broccoli-sandwich-in-southern-italy
https://people.com/man-dead-9-others-hospitalized-after-eating-sandwiches-amid-botulism-outbreak-11788221
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/man-dies-as-broccoli-recalled-across-italy-in-deadly-outbreak-b1242271.html
Corriere Salerno | Il Fatto Alimentare | RaiNews | Quotidiano Nazionale
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6 Comments
Thank for this important and interesting information!
Thank you informing us.
very interesting! yes, over prescribing the use of ventilators for people w positive COVID tests caused a lot people to die in hospital in the COVID pandemic, public health failure
Broccoli sandwich???
Ma in Italia NON abbiamo sentito questa storia.
Botulism most often develops from frequent excessive consumption of canned foods.