Contaminated cochinita pibil blamed for poisoning 30 at Yucatán market

A dish at a market in Yucatán left some customers hospitalized with food poisoning on Sunday after more than 30 people became ill.

The cochinita pibil — a regional shredded-pork specialty — at the municipal market in Seyé, 35 kilometers east of Mérida, has been blamed.

People who suffered stomach pains, diarrhea, vomiting, shivers, a racing heart rate or headaches agreed that they had bought the same dish from the same vendor.

Some people who were severely poisoned were taken to Acanceh hospital, while a large number of people required medical attention in Seyé and police officers were required to maintain order outside a clinic.

The market was closed by local authorities and the case is being investigated by the state health ministry.

Cochinita pibil’s popularity is likely to continue: it topped a list of the world’s 100 best dishes in December, in a ranking compiled by the international food website TasteAtlas.

TasteAtlas said the dish’s name is a clue to how it was traditionally prepared. “Since cochinita means ‘baby pig,’ and pibil means ‘buried’ or ‘underground,’ it acts as a proof that the original recipe used a whole suckling pig that was buried in a pit for roasting,” it said on its website.

The pork specialty is made by marinating meat in a combination of annatto paste, bitter orange juice and garlic. It is shredded and served on tortillas, tacos, or on its own with shallots, pickled onions, salsa and various roasted vegetables.

With reports from Por Esto! and El Universal

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
lascocinas

Interior Ministry confirms public access to Las Cocinas, meeting one of the Punta de Mita protesters’ demands

0
The Nayarit coast's burgeoning fame as an attractive tourist destination has inevitably led to increased development, which has just as inevitably led to protests on environmental and public-access grounds.
oil spill cleanup on Gulf beach

The Feb. 6 oil spill continues to impact Gulf coast beaches and marine life

0
The oil spill that was slow to be officially recognized when it first happened is now being slow to stop causing damage, as hydrocarbons still stain Gulf coast beaches and affect marine life.
Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya

US charges Sinaloa governor, 9 state officials with drug trafficking

11
Prosecutors in the United States have formally accused Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and nine other current and former Mexican officials of drug trafficking and related weapons offenses, alleging that they colluded with the Sinaloa Cartel.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity