RIYADH: Riyadh Municipality confirmed on Friday that the initial results of an investigation by health authorities suggest a single company was responsible for several cases of food poisoning last week, caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, that left dozens of people hospitalized.
It also confirmed the chain could be fined over the outbreak, which came to light on April 25, and that all of its branches and food-processing facilities in Riyadh and Al-Kharj remain closed.
The amount of any fine will be set according to existing legislation based on a full investigation and taking into account the severity of the effects of the incident on the people who became sick, the municipality added.
It did not say how long the company’s branches and other facilities would remain closed, but said all food products they contained would be destroyed and the process of cleaning and disinfecting all buildings, tools and machinery will be supervised by officials from the municipality.
“We confirm the safety of food products for restaurants, kitchens, cafes and caterers in the Riyadh region, as no cases have been recorded from other than the aforementioned source,” the municipality said.
The statement on Friday did not name the company involved, but Arab News reported last week that a number of food poisoning cases appeared to be linked to the Hamburgini fast-food chain.
Riyadh Municipality said health oversight teams took prompt action to investigate and monitor the situation as soon as they began to receive reports of the food poisoning cases.
On April 26, Nawaf Al-Fozan, the founder and CEO of Hamburgini, shared a video on the chain’s Instagram page in which he confirmed it was involved in the outbreak.
In a separate statement on Friday, the Saudi Ministry of Health also said that all cases in the food poisoning outbreak were linked to the same source.
The MOH said 75 people were affected in the outbreak, including one death, and that no new cases were recorded over the past five days.
"The total number of recorded cases stands at 75, including 69 Saudi nationals and 6 non-Saudis," said the statement shared on social media platform X on Friday by ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly.
The statement noted that 50 of the cases were diagnosed as being caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The ministry explained that 43 patients have fully recovered and been discharged from hospital, 11 are currently undergoing treatment and 20 cases are being closely monitored in intensive care units, or ICUs.
"The ministry continues to closely monitor hospitalized cases and provide them with the necessary healthcare while wishing them a swift recovery," said the statement. It stressed "the importance of relying on its official sources for instructions and information, and not spreading rumors and false information."
