22 hospitalized for food poisoning in South Cotabato

SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines – Twenty-two residents of Tupi town were rushed to hospitals after eating jellyrolls and home-made caramel candies in a party Tuesday.  

Emil Sumugaysay, municipal disaster risk reduction and management officer, said the victims are now undergoing medication.  

The victims complained of dizziness and painful abdominal spasms after feasting on jellyrolls and caramel candies made of heat-frosted condensed milk, called yema in most local dialects, in a party at a secluded district in Tupi, South Cotabato.

Attending physicians administered intravenous rehydration fluids to the sick partygoers to prevent dehydration due to vomiting and loose bowel movement.

Sanitary inspectors from the Tupi local government unit had collected samples of the foods served to the victims for laboratory examination.

A Catholic station in the provincial capital Koronadal City, dxOM of Central Mindanao’s popular Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation, had said in a report that the food poisoning case in Tupi was South Cotabato’s second since Sunday.

Station dxOM said nine residents of Barangay San Vicente in Banga town northwest of South Cotabato were earlier rushed to a hospital after eating spoiled pastries served in a party.