Buzz
Food is an indispensable part of life, deeply rooted in various cultures, religions, and households. It serves as a unifying force, whether through the joy of crafting new dishes or the tradition of sharing family recipes. For some, food is a luxury, a form of reward, or even a lifelong passion for those pursuing culinary careers.
Despite its many positive aspects, food can also lead to catastrophic outcomes. From disease outbreaks and product recalls to severe allergic reactions and chronic illnesses, food can sometimes be the cause of serious harm. While some risks are well-known and preventable, others are unexpected and unavoidable. Below are some tragic cases where food or its production had fatal consequences.
10. A Deadly Game
Hot dog-eating contests are a well-known form of competitive eating, with similar events featuring various foods gaining global popularity. However, these competitions come with significant risks, including the danger of choking. This was the case for 13-year-old Noah Akers from San Pedro, who tragically lost his life after choking on a hot dog during one such contest.
In 2010, Noah Akers participated in a hot dog-eating game organized by the Boys and Girls Club to raise funds for Haiti earthquake relief. Although the club clarified it wasn’t a traditional eating contest, as children were only required to eat one whipped cream-covered hot dog, a candy prize was offered to those who finished the unusual food combination.
During the event, the hot dog became stuck in Noah’s throat. Despite efforts from bystanders to clear his airway, the obstruction remained until paramedics arrived. They successfully removed the hot dog, but Noah had already suffered prolonged oxygen deprivation and tragically passed away a few days later in the hospital.
An investigation into the incident concluded that the organization had provided adequate supervision and warnings.
9. Bean Pile
Workplace injuries are common, particularly in environments involving heavy machinery or faulty equipment. In 2018, an average of 14 people died daily in the U.S. due to workplace accidents. Raymond Segura Jr., a 56-year-old employee at a Colorado bean company, met a tragic end in 2012 when a workplace accident claimed his life.
Mr. Segura had been employed by the Kelley Bean Company for more than 12 years without any issues until the overhead conveyor belt he was overseeing broke down. This belt was designed to move large quantities of pinto beans, and due to the malfunction, Mr. Segura was buried under a cascade of beans. When he failed to respond to calls, workers discovered him beneath a massive pile of beans.
Upon realizing Mr. Segura was trapped under the beans, more than 50 emergency responders and inmates from a nearby jail rushed to assist. It took over an hour to excavate his body from the 6-meter (20 ft) heap of beans that had collapsed onto him.
Sadly, by the time rescuers reached him, Mr. Segura had already died. The exact cause of death—whether from suffocation or the force of the impact—remained unclear. Both the police and the Kelley Bean Company launched investigations into the conveyor belt malfunction, ultimately concluding the incident was an accident.
8. Drowned In Whiskey
Choosing to end one’s life is never an easy decision, and with suicide rates rising, every effort to prevent such tragedies is crucial. The suicide of Brian Ettles, a 46-year-old father from Scotland, in 2012 shocked everyone who knew him, especially as it occurred while he was at work.
Mr. Ettles, a 22-year veteran of the Glenfiddich Distillery, had celebrated his wife’s birthday the previous evening and appeared completely normal at work the next day. Despite his seemingly ordinary demeanor, he climbed 5 meters (16 ft) to the top of a 50,000-liter (13,000 gal) whiskey distillation tank and jumped in. Alarms were triggered soon after, and paramedics rushed to the scene. Unfortunately, by the time they reached him, Mr. Ettles was unresponsive and was declared dead at the site.
Following an investigation, no evidence of foul play or suspicious circumstances was found in Mr. Ettles’ death. Authorities concluded that he had tragically ended his own life, although no suicide note was discovered. The coroner ruled that the cause of death was drowning in the whiskey vat.
7. Carroted Out
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial for staying in peak condition and feeling one’s best. Over the years, numerous diet trends have emerged, each claiming to be the ultimate solution for optimal health. Basil Brown, a health enthusiast, was deeply committed to achieving this ideal. The 48-year-old explored various methods in his pursuit of perfect health.
In 1974, during a phase where he consumed approximately 3.8 liters (1 gal) of carrot juice daily, Mr. Brown was warned by his doctor that this extreme regimen could cause severe harm, including irreversible liver damage. Ignoring the advice, he continued his diet for ten days, ingesting over 10,000 times the recommended daily amount of vitamin A.
As his doctor had warned, Mr. Brown developed cirrhosis of the liver, which ultimately led to his death. An autopsy confirmed that his excessive intake of vitamin A caused toxicity and liver failure. Additionally, his skin took on a yellow-orange tint due to the high levels of carotene from the carrot juice.
6. Baked In
Maintenance work often involves risks, particularly when handling large, heavy machinery. Awareness and precautions are vital. In 1998, David Mayes and Ian Erickson assumed all necessary safety measures were in place when they were tasked with maintaining a bread-baking oven at the Harvestime Bakeries plant in Leicester. The 23-meter (75 ft) long oven, however, had not been cooled sufficiently. Instead of being shut down for the required 12 hours, it had only been off for two.
Mayes, 47, and Erickson, 43, entered the oven but soon reported via walkie-talkies that the interior was excessively hot. With no way to reverse the conveyor belt, they had no choice but to proceed. The temperature inside was estimated to be around 100 degrees Celsius (212 °F). While Erickson was brought out after 17 minutes, Mayes became stuck inside.
Erickson succumbed to his severe burns in front of his colleagues, and paramedics later retrieved Mayes’ body. The tragic incident led to a lawsuit, which revealed that Harvestime management had opted against hiring professional repairmen due to cost and time concerns. Instead, they assigned the task to their own staff, instructing them to work while the oven was still warm to avoid delays in production.
Three executives and the owners of Harvestime pleaded guilty to health and safety violations and were fined £373,000.
5. Mixed In Dough
Baking on an industrial scale requires large machinery, some of which can pose significant risks if not handled carefully, as seen in the previous example. For Mr. Ng Sew Kuang, the 73-year-old owner of Seng Confectionery in Singapore, a routine task turned fatal in 2018. While preparing red bean paste for his confections, he accidentally fell into a dough-mixing machine.
Tragically, the mixer was operational, and the machine’s force crushed Mr. Ng within the mixture. His workers discovered his body after noticing an unusual burning odor coming from upstairs. By the time emergency services arrived, it was too late, and Mr. Ng had already died.
Mr. Ng had started his work on the second floor at 4:00 AM, as was his daily routine, making it unclear exactly when he fell into the mixer. His death was deemed a tragic accident. The bakery, located next to his daughter’s salon, had been highlighted in The Straits Times four years earlier for its traditional baked goods and confections.
4. Death By Chocolate
The term 'Death by Chocolate' is often used to describe decadent chocolate desserts or as a playful phrase for overindulgence. However, for Mr. Vincent Smith Jr., it became a grim reality.
In 2009, Mr. Smith, 29, had recently joined Lyons and Sons in Camden, New Jersey, a company specializing in chocolate processing. While standing on a platform above a vat of melting chocolate, he slipped and fell into the mixture. A coworker witnessed the fall and rushed to shut off the machine, but Mr. Smith had already been struck by one of the paddles that churned the chocolate.
By the time his coworkers managed to pull him out of the vat, it was too late. Mr. Smith had been fatally injured by the paddle and submerged in the hot, molten chocolate, leading to his death.
Although the police ruled the fall an accident, it was revealed that the company lacked the necessary permits. Lyons and Sons faced an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regarding their safety measures, and the family pursued a wrongful death lawsuit.
3. Over-Caffeinated
In 2010, a New Zealand mother, Natasha Harris, 30, died from sudden cardiac arrest linked to her excessive Coca-Cola consumption. She drank large quantities of the soda daily, from morning until night, with her husband estimating her intake at around 10 liters (2.6 gal) per day.
The cola she consumed contained 11 times the daily recommended sugar intake and double the safe limit of caffeine. In the week leading up to her death, Mrs. Harris experienced nausea, fatigue, and other symptoms, which she and her family attributed to stress.
Mrs. Harris’s Coca-Cola addiction had severe consequences for her and her children. She suffered withdrawal symptoms without the beverage and had undergone dental surgery to remove teeth damaged by her soda habit. At least one of her eight children was born without tooth enamel, a condition linked to her excessive Coke consumption.
Although Coca-Cola was cleared of responsibility for Mrs. Harris’s death, many advocated for the company to include clearer warning labels on their products.
2. Water Intoxication
While staying hydrated is essential for health and skin, excessive water consumption can lead to severe health complications. A California mother tragically lost her life in 2007 after participating in a radio station’s water-drinking contest, unaware of the dangers of overhydration.
Jennifer Strange, 28, joined KDND-FM’s 'Hold Your Wee for a Wii' contest, where participants competed to drink the most water for a chance to win a Nintendo Wii. She mentioned she was doing it for her three children. The rules required contestants to drink as much water as possible without using the restroom. Midway through, the hosts increased the required water intake.
Despite calls from listeners, including a nurse, warning the hosts about the risks of the contest, the concerns were dismissed. The hosts joked about the human body being mostly water and assured everyone the contestants would be fine, citing signed release forms.
Mrs. Strange was far from fine. She withdrew from the contest in second place, complaining of severe discomfort and pain to one of the radio hosts. She had consumed approximately 7.6 liters (2 gal) of water in three hours, causing her body to bloat noticeably, with one host remarking she appeared pregnant. After calling in sick to work, she returned home and was discovered dead in her bathroom just hours later. Her death was attributed to water intoxication.
Her husband filed a lawsuit against the radio station. Investigations revealed that the contest had not been approved or reviewed by the station’s legal team, and no warnings about the potential dangers were given to participants, although they were advised to stop if they felt unwell.
The jury ruled in favor of Mr. Strange, holding Entercom Sacramento LLC accountable for Mrs. Strange’s death and awarding the family $16.5 million in damages. Ten employees of the radio station were dismissed following the incident, including the three hosts involved in the contest.
1. Cooked With Tuna
Effective communication in the workplace is crucial, particularly when employees are unaware of each other's locations or tasks. This was tragically highlighted in the case of Mr. Jose Melena, who was repairing an industrial oven at the Bumble Bee plant in California. Despite his six years of service, no one communicated his presence inside the oven, resulting in a coworker activating it while he was still inside.
In 2012, Mr. Melena, aged 62, was tasked with repairing chains within an 11-meter-long (35 ft) oven. While he was inside, a coworker turned on the oven and loaded approximately 6 tons of tuna. Trapped in the 132-degree-Celsius (270 °F) oven, Mr. Melena was unable to escape and was tragically cooked alongside the tuna for two hours. His charred remains were discovered after coworkers noticed his car still parked, and firefighters pronounced him dead at the scene.
An investigation into Mr. Melena’s death revealed that Bumble Bee had failed to report several worker injuries, such as a severed finger and a fractured skull, stemming from safety violations. The company, along with the plant’s operations director and safety manager, faced three felony charges each for safety violations leading to death. Bumble Bee was subsequently ordered to pay over $6 million in damages.
