17 people were rushed to hospital after eating food containing caustic soda

 

 

LAMPANG: -- Seventeen people were rushed to a hospital in Wang Nua district of Lampang on Wednesday after they ate food prepared by a cook who mistook caustic soda as salt and used it in preparing food to serve guests at a funeral rite.

 

Wang Nua district officer Kriangsak Saengyunont said the 17 guests who attended a funeral rite at a house in Tambon Wang Sai Kham suffered serious mouth burns after they ate food prepared by a cook.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/17-people-were-rushed-to-hospital-after-eating-food-containing-caustic-soda/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-11-03

"...it was later found out that the cook mistakenly used caustic soda to prepare the food instead of salt..."

 

Obviously, this so-called "cook" has not heard of the culinary term "Salt to Taste" !!!

I would say he confused Sodium Carbonate with Caustic Soda...

I wonder if the cook tasted the meal first to see if it needed more "salt"?

And nobody could tell there was something wrong with the food?  Caustic soda is not a subtle thing

1 hour ago, Jedsada3 said:

I would say he confused Sodium Carbonate with Caustic Soda...

 

Sodium Chloride (NaCl), common table salt, you mean?

 

Caustic Soda, lye, sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) seems to be what was added.

 

Sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃, is the water-soluble sodium salt of carbonic acid.  It is not Bicarbonate of sode - commonly called baking soda.

 

Confusing for some!

The victims wont be suffering from blocked drains  for a while 

Why was caustic soda near the food prep area? Very corrosive chemical.

3 hours ago, bbbbooboo said:

I wonder if the cook tasted the meal first to see if it needed more "salt"?

 

 

I have never seen a Thai person cook and not taste their food. 

Hmmmm 

Happens all the time here.

5 hours ago, Jedsada3 said:

I would say he confused Sodium Carbonate with Caustic Soda...

 

How many Thai cooks can read this (even in Thai language) and understand the difference.

Also did the customers not taste something unusual or was it so hot spiced they even would not have noticed if there was cow dung added?

Happens all the time here.

At your house?

2 minutes ago, roo860 said:

At your house?

Yes, my pipes are clean.

5 hours ago, fredge45 said:

 

Sodium Chloride (NaCl), common table salt, you mean?

 

Caustic Soda, lye, sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) seems to be what was added.

 

Sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃, is the water-soluble sodium salt of carbonic acid.  It is not Bicarbonate of sode - commonly called baking soda.

 

Confusing for some!

Of course I meant Sodium BIcarbonate!

Of course I meant Sodium BIcarbonate!

Course ya did

Criminals apparently use it to dispose of bodies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_hydroxide#Tissue_digestion

 

The kitchen is a poor place to store chemicals, but everyone seems too. They should be stored in another room/building in a high cabinet, but even in the US most are stored under the sink in the kitchen where kids and illiterate cooks have easy access. I hear ant poison is a highly touted spice also.