Factory worker brought a packed lunch to work…what happened next made 46 violently ill

Dozens of workers at a fish factory were hospitalized after a packed lunch led to an outbreak of food poisoning.

Workers started getting sick at the NAFCO wholesale plant in Jessup, Maryland, about three hours after eating a Filipino noodle dish known as pancit.

It is believed that the traditional meal – which consists of rice noodles, mixed vegetables, chicken, chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar – was provided by a worker and shared among colleagues.

First responders and paramedics arrived at the plant around 3:45 p.m. Monday and 46 people were assessed and transported to area hospitals.

The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services confirmed all patients were non-critical.

NAFCO told The Baltimore flag that it was an isolated incident and that she was not responsible for providing the meal in question.

A representative also revealed that the meal was not served on the factory premises.

They explained: ‘It’s a shame because we are in the food business but this happened in our car park.

“If there’s a positive, we have a huge food safety staff here and all these contingencies.”

The CDC notes that chicken is often linked to foodborne illnesses, with most of these illnesses coming from Salmonella and CampylobacterA germs.

Diseases associated with chicken can result from cross-contamination and from the meat not reaching a high enough temperature (165° Fahrenheit) to kill any germs within it.

A call was made to the NAFCO plant when workers began showing signs of food poisoning, the company spokesperson confirmed.

The Howard County Health Department told DailyMail.com that it continues to work closely with the Maryland Department of Health and other partners to investigate the cause of the “foodborne illness outbreak.”

A representative added: ‘We are beginning to speak to those affected to get more details about the food in question.

‘At this time we are not aware of any risk of further illness associated with this incident and believe there is little risk to the wider community.

“When we have more information, we will share it on our social media channels.”

NAFCO, one of the largest seafood distributors in the Mid-Atlantic region, said no consumers or markets were affected by the incident.

It is believed that the traditional meal – which consists of rice noodles, mixed vegetables and chicken – was provided by a worker and shared among colleagues

Commenting on the incident, it noted: “NAFCO maintains the highest standards of food safety and regularly undergoes strict inspections by health authorities.

“The products continue to be produced and consumed safely by customers across the country, and there are no supply chain issues.”

Many commenters on social media emphasized that this is why they do not share food in the workplace and participate in potlucks.

One Facebook user wrote, “And this is why I don’t do a potluck anymore; I haven’t for years.

“You can’t trust the cleanliness, or lack thereof, of others, especially after the slights that came out about people during Covid. Animals on counters… People who don’t wash for days/weeks…’

Another commenter mused: ‘Things like this are actually rare. Let’s be honest.

‘That doesn’t mean you should let your guard down, but if you have doubts about a dish or its origins, trust your gut. (Pun intended).”