A NOODLE shop in Luohu District has been closed after 32 people suffered severe food poisoning Friday, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

    The food poisoning at Huacheng Snack on Leyuan Road was likely due to exposure to nitrite, the report said.

    “A few grams of nitrite can be fatal,” said a doctor at Shenzhen People’s Hospital, adding that nitrite poisoning makes it difficult for the body to absorb oxygen.

    The 32 victims started vomiting and became dizzy after eating rice noodle rolls in the shop Friday morning.

    A 53-year-old woman and her 9-month-old grandchild were both taken to the hospital by the shopkeeper after they had the noodle rolls. The woman, surname Wang, said she felt dizzy 10 minutes after eating the noodle rolls.

    The disease control and prevention center in Luohu District said nitrite was found in the water and the rice noodles.

    Water containing nitrite had been used to clean the air conditioner and might have accidentally been used to wash the food, according to the food and drug administration in Luohu District.

    Police in Luohu District have ruled out the possibility of intentional poisoning after an initial investigation. Some of the victims have already been discharged from the hospital after treatment, with the rest in stable condition.

    Nitrite is widely used in the construction industry, and is used in limited amounts for meat manufacturing. It looks and tastes like salt, but 0.3 gram of nitrite can cause poisoning and 3 grams of it can be deadly.

    Shenzhen People’s Hospital took in 10 adults and three juveniles. Six of them were already discharged from the hospital upon recovery, and the rest were in stable condition.

    One of the victims, surname Chen, said he got a stomachache and began feeling weak an hour after he ate the noodles.

    The shop had a valid business license and a catering service license. A total of 52 servings of breakfast were sold Friday morning. (Zhang Yang)