A terrifying botulism outbreak in Italy, tied to a ‘broccoli sandwich’, has killed two and left over 17 people in hospital.
The outbreak has been linked to a food truck from Diamante, Calabria, with a national recall issued on the respective panini.
It contains grilled sausage and cime di rapa (also known as broccoli rabe), a plant which is pretty similar to broccoli.
The two victims to tragically lose their lives were Luigi Di Sarno, 52, and Tamara D’Acunto, 45, both of whom died in the week following eating a contaminated sandwich. Di Sarno was initially discharged from hospital but reportedly died soon after.
One of the hospitalised victims to survive the infection, 24-year-old Gaia Vitiello, said she had eaten an affected sandwich at around 4:30am after a night out on 5 August 2025.
“My friends only had mayonnaise, sausage and chips,” Vitiello told local media. “I added broccoli. It was the first time I'd ever done that.”
The symptoms set in within an hour of eating the panini.
She continued: “I had diarrhoea. I thought it was indigestion. The next day, the symptoms worsened. I couldn't swallow and my legs were shaking.
“If my sister Alessia hadn't taken me to the hospital by force, I wouldn't be here today.”
She said she counts herself ‘lucky’ after a brief stay in hospital, having been admitted to intensive care.
Vitiello, along with the other victims, was infected with botulism. 5-10% of botulism cases are fatal, although it’s a mercifully rare condition.
The NHS says that symptoms include: ‘drooping eyelids, blurred or double vision, facial muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), slurred speech, and breathing difficulties’.
Nine people have thus far been investigated over the outbreak and deaths, including the owner of the Diamante food truck which has been seized. Local prosecutors reportedly said the van had been parked in the sun all day ahead of the incidents.
The truck has been seized as part of the criminal investigation, with local prosecutors discovering that it had been parked in the sun all day.
Botulism is caused by toxins produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria, and it’s commonly associated with canned foods. While canned foods are usually vacuum-sealed and safe, heavily-dented or pierced cans can present a botulism risk. Essentially, if the seal has been broken, air can get in and allow bacteria to grow.
Investigators have seized several jars of the broccoli-like vegetable and warned the public to be cautious of opened, dented, or pierced canned or jarred products.
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Rachael Davis