Chinese Cook Poisons 21 People With Pesticide Leaving 1 Dead, 2 In Critical Condition

Twenty-one people were poisoned in China after a cook mistakenly used pesticide instead of sauce while preparing a dish, according to Xinhua news.

The poisoning left one person dead and two in critical condition, the news agency reports. 

The incident happened in China's Inner Mongolia region at a ranch for employees, contracted by the Inner Mongolia Highway Engineering Co., working on the Beijing-Tibet highway expansion project.

Police in Baotou City say the cook appears to have mistakenly used a toxic chemical instead of a sauce while preparing a dish Tuesday-according to Xinhua.

After testing was performed on food samples, the pesticide has been identified as carbofuran.

The toxic substance reportedly poisoned the cook as well.

It is still unclear whether the cook will be charged in the case, but police are calling the incident a crime of negligence and an investigators are looking into the situation. 

Carbofuran is an insecticide and nematicide used to control pests in soil and leaves, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA.

The agency revoked carbofuran tolerances in December 2009.

"EPA has concluded that dietary, worker and ecological risks are unacceptable for all uses of carbofuran," the EPA said in regard to the revocation.

"All products containing carbofuran generally cause unreasonable adverse effects on humans and the environment and do not meet safety standards, and therefore are ineligible for reregistration."

(SOURCE)