Noodles made from fermented corn flour are a common dish in the region
New York Post – Nine members of a family in China died after eating homemade corn noodles, authorities said.
The family ate the noodles for breakfast on Oct. 5, according to a state-run media report.
Hours later, all fell ill. Eight died by Oct. 11, and the ninth died on Monday, the outlet reported.
The cause of their deaths was poisoning from bongkrekic acid, a respiratory toxin.
Gao Fei, director of food safety at the Heilongjiang Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said:
“It can cause serious damage to many human organs including the liver, kidneys, heart, and brain.
“Currently, there is no specific antidote. Once poisoned, the fatality rate can be as high as 40 to 100 percent.”
The National Health Commission issued a warning Tuesday to avoid making and eating foods with fermented rice and flour … Read more.
Fermented corn noodles in the United States
Headline Health can find no restrictions on the use of fermented corn in making commercially available noodles in the United States. However, we also find no sources offering it for sale. Bongkrekic acid poisoning has been reported in China and Africa but apparently not in the United States.
