Bakery Salmonella Outbreak in China Sickens More Than 130, Mostly Children, Sparks Censorship

A man talks on the phone near a sign for the reception office of China's Food and Drug Administration in Beijing on May 17, 2016. Damir Sagolj/Reuters

More than 130 people, mostly children, were hospitalized in China’s southwestern Guizhou Province after eating sandwiches from a local bakery chain, in what officials have confirmed as a mass outbreak of salmonella poisoning.

Parents and residents have alleged that Chinese authorities attempted to silence the story, as many online videos about the incident were removed.

Outbreak Linked to Popular Bakery

The outbreak began in Xishui County after residents purchased sandwiches from Milk Baking, a well-known cake shop brand with multiple stores in the area. Chinese state media People’s Daily cited a Sept. 21 statement from the Zunyi Food and Drug Safety Commission, saying that three separate batches of the bakery’s sandwiches were sold between Sept. 15 and 17 across eight stores. A total of 187 people are believed to have eaten the products.