Ministry of Health detects the presence of bacteria in sausages sold in D1 stores

The Ministry of Health of Bogotá, after carrying out routine inspection, surveillance and control actions on certain food products on the market, obtained positive results for the presence of the bacteria 'Listeria monocytogenes', in Brakel branded chicken sausages, which are sold in the D1 warehouse chain.

In addition, the Ministry of Health identified on the Invima consultation page that the product has the expired health marketing document. Faced with this situation, the district entity proceeded to confiscate and destroy the detected stocks of the product of this specific brand and lot, to prevent its sale to the public, and intensified all necessary actions to identify the places where it may be sold.

As confirmed by Semana Magazine, the District Secretariat issued an urgent report to the National Institute for Drug and Food Surveillance (Invima), since it is the responsibility of that institution to carry out the respective verification at the plant producing this brand of sausages in order to avoid any harm to the health of the citizenship.

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The bacterium found, Listeria monocytogenes, develops intracellularly and is the cause of listeriosis. It is one of the most violent pathogens that cause food infections, with a mortality rate between 20 and 30%, higher than almost all other food toxico-infections.

The Ministry of Health recommended that the community not consume this product while the required microbiological analysis continues to be carried out and interventions are being carried out by the health authorities. The mayor's office of Bogotá, in its first hypothesis, believes that this finding may be related to the mass poisoning that occurred in Bogotá during the last week.

It should be remembered that on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 9, a complaint about possible poisoning was heard at the Gerardo Paredes school, located in the town of Suba in Bogotá. Although the rector of the institution assured that what happened in the institution was not an intoxication but a case of collective panic, the Ministry of Health confirmed that it was a poisoning but, for now, it is unknown because of what substance this event occurred.

On the afternoon of this Wednesday, March 9, a complaint about possible mass poisoning was heard at the Gerardo Paredes school, located in the town of Suba in Bogotá, apparently due to the use of hallucinogenic substances. Although the rector of the institution assured that what happened in the institution was not an intoxication but a case of collective panic, the Ministry of Health confirmed that it was a poisoning but, for now, it is unknown because of what substance.

However, the Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement that, at noon on Wednesday, nine minors, seven girls and two boys, were admitted to the emergency departments of the Suba Hospital presenting a clinical picture of “possible exogenous poisoning by unknown agent”.

Following the medical evaluation, the Secretariat indicated that all nine students underwent toxicological tests to determine which substance affected them. Although the samples are still being processed, the entity reported that they are also analyzing the food that the minors consumed, in order to rule out that the health status of the young people is due to them.

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