Six die after China cook mistakes poison for flour

[JODO 2]

Six die after China cook mistakes poison for flour

Sun Nov 18, 2007 9:42pm EST

BEIJING, Nov 19 (Reuters) - A Chinese cook reached for a packet of rat poison thinking it was flour when making rice dumplings, inadvertently killing himself and five others, state media said on Monday.

The six died after eating dumpling soup last week, prompting a police investigation to see if any crime had been committed, the Shanghai Daily said.

Chen Ruyan, who worked at a recycling station in the central province of Hubei, was preparing lunch last Sunday.

"In the process, Chen found the rice dough he was preparing for making "tangyuan" (rice dumplings) was quite watery and he decided to add more rice flour," the Shanghai Daily said.

"Unfortunately, he mistook rat poison that had been placed together with other condiments as flour and mixed it into the dough."

Investigators found Chen, who sold rat poison as a business, had put the chemicals in the kitchen when he moved home.

China is in the middle of a nationwide campaign to improve food and product safety after a string of international scares that have tainted its export reputation.

But the government is also worried about lax safety endangering the country's own citizens. Reports of usually non-fatal food poisoning at school canteens and restaurants, especially in the countryside, are common.

(Reporting by Nick Macfie; Editing Sanjeev Miglani)

[Toshtishtash 1]

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Hazard communication people (label your sh!t). Even at home write on blank plastic bottles full of chemicals with a sharpie.

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/hazardcommunications/index.html

[Krikit 1,165]

Yes, cause I always keep my rat poison next to the flour. And, oh.... RATS in the restaurant?

[Amby 490]

technically they can be stored close together on the same shelves really as long as there isn't any chemicals or poison on a shelf where food is under it. I don't recommend doing this

[Ban Hammer 13,641]

darwin at work.

[Jasman0717 9]

Damn

[~krakatoa~ 27]

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

That's so horrible RIP

[Scott & Lai 12]

darwin at work.

If it were Darwin at work, the cook would have been the one to die.

[Ban Hammer 13,641]

darwin at work.

If it were Darwin at work, the cook would have been the one to die.

he did.

[Nessa 23]

[Scott & Lai 12]

darwin at work.

If it were Darwin at work, the cook would have been the one to die.

he did.

Hmm...didn't notice that part (just skimmed the article), let me rephrase: If it were Darwin at work, the cook would have been the only one to die.

[peejay 327]

darwin at work.

If it were Darwin at work, the cook would have been the one to die.

he did.

Hmm...didn't notice that part (just skimmed the article), let me rephrase: If it were Darwin at work, the cook would have been the only one to die.

I'll "one up" that and say...it's fortunate that the cook did die. They would have shot his sorry azz if he would have survived. Too bad, so sad for the other 5 though.

As Forrest Gump said so eloquently, "Stupid is as stupid does."

Edited November 20, 2007 by peejay

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Unfortunately, this is likely to be only one of numerous cases--much like "country liquor" in India (which is known to kill as many people as malaria).