Man's horror symptoms after eating toxic spinach: 'Never seen anything like it'
A Sydney woman has detailed her partner's horrific symptoms after allegedly eating contaminated spinach on Saturday, and admits she's "never seen anything like it".
On Friday, an urgent recall was issued for packaged baby spinach sold at Costco with fears it'd been contaminated with a toxic weed. Aldi, Woolworths and Coles supermarkets later pulled their own salad products from the shelves after dozens of Aussies fell ill after consumption.
The woman from Sydney's south shared a detailed post on Facebook warning others of the risks, revealing she bought the affected product from Woolworths. She claimed her partner ate the salad at around 10am on Saturday, and by 2pm "he nearly crashed his car when the vomiting hit".
"From there he went downhill rapidly, constant diahorrea and vomiting to the point he couldn't leave the shower," she continued.
"Then the cramps hit and he was screaming. He couldn't straighten any of his muscles out, I've never seen anything like it. Then the delirium hit, he couldn't speak or put sentences together, wasn't listening at all and passing out."
He also experienced convulsing, shaking, fever and sweats, she claimed. "No words can explain how sick he was," she wrote on Facebook. However, it's unknown exactly which product he ate.
Dozens sick after consuming contaminated salad products
On Monday, NSW Health confirmed 164 people in NSW have reported symptoms after eating baby spinach and at least 42 of these people have sought medical attention. On Saturday,\, Genevieve Adamo from the NSW Poisons information Centre told Today it’s expected the numbers will rise.
Item sold at Big W, JB Hi-Fi and Officeworks recalled over safety fears
Ready-made meals sold at Coles, IGA recalled over contamination
The products have had potential contamination with unsafe plant material which may cause illness. A spokesperson from Riviera Farms which saw its product contaminated said it was a toxic "weed which can have health consequences if consumed". Symptoms can include delirium or confusion, hallucinations, fever, rapid heartbeat and dry mouth.
A child was also admitted to hospital in Queensland on Saturday night before being released on Sunday. They were one of 26 possible cases in that state so far. Additionally, at least 11 Victorians have gone to emergency departments after consuming baby spinach, the Guardian reports.
The Sydney woman allegedly called an ambulance which arrived within minutes, and now she's warning others to "throw out your spinach". NSW Health suggests doing the same, or returning them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Responding to the post, one woman said her whole family ate Aldi's Fresh Salad Co Fresh and Fast Stir Fry, which has also been recalled. "My daughter was very sick last night and today (vomiting)," she claimed.
Which products have been recalled?
A number of products have now been recalled across various supermarkets.
The first to be recalled was the Riviera Farms Baby Spinach 350g and 1kg bags, which are sold at Costco stores in NSW, ACT and Victoria. All Use By dates from 16 Dec 2022 up to and including 28 Dec 2022 have been affected.
Woolworths Group has recalled its Chicken Cobb Salad and Chickpea Falafel Salad with used by dates 20th and 22nd of December. The products have been available for sale at Woolworths and Woolworths Metro stores in NSW, ACT, Queensland and Victoria.
Aldi's Fresh Salad Co Fresh and Fast Stir Fry packs with have been recalled for the same reason. Only those with a Use By date of 24th December in Victoria have been affected.
Coles has issued a recall on a number of items with Use By dates between 17 and 23 December. Items include:
Coles Spinach 60g,120g (UBD 23 DEC, NSW), 280g (UBD 23 DEC, VIC only)
Coles Chef Blend Tender Leaf 150g (UBD 22 DEC, VIC, NSW, SA, NT only)
Coles Baby Leaf Blend 300g (UBD 22 DEC, VIC, NSW, SA, NT only)
Coles Kitchen Green Goddess Salad 250g, 300g
Coles Kitchen Chicken BLT Salad Bowl 240g
Coles Kitchen Roast Pumpkin, Fetta & Walnut Salad 265g
Coles Kitchen Smokey Mexican Salad 280g
Coles Kitchen Egg and Spinach Pots 100g
Anyone who is concerned about exposure to the spinach should call the NSW Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26. NSW Health urges anyone who experiences any unusual and severe symptoms to seek immediate medical attention by visiting their nearest emergency department. In the event of an emergency, call Triple 0.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
