All The Unexpected Times Food Sent People To The Hospital

Let’s talk about food. As we all know, it’s important to live — and it’s also an important way to help define our culture. That said, many of us have complicated relationships with food. Especially, if food has ever managed to make us so sick, we’ve landed in the hospital.

This past year, we’ve been more cautious than ever about examining what we eat. Based on food recalls, it’s become common practice to doubt standard staples like Cheerios and Goldfish, and think twice about ordering a caesar salad at a restaurant. We may even check the restaurant inspection reports before choosing a location, just to be on the safe side. If food landed us in the hospital, it’d be hard to trust it ever again.

Just imagine what it’s like for people with allergies. Those who are severely allergic may react to the smallest exposure of a particular food. It means that they may need to visit the hospital more often if they eat something sketchy and are underprepared for the aftermath.

Other times? The hospitalization is one that the family won’t forget. Let’s just say that sometimes looks can be deceiving when it comes to brownies or cookies. Instances like this happen more often than you think.

Here are 18 of the craziest times food landed someone in the hospital.

1. Bad Fruit Cocktail

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When something is sealed in a container, you probably assume it’s okay to eat.

But, not for this Redditor. This case of food poisoning was so bad that they lost their ability to speak. Botulism is incredibly serious and often causes paralysis that may even lead to respiratory infection if not caught in time. This poster is very lucky to be alive, and will forever make people wary of canned fruit salad.

2. Potent Edibles

If you make edibles at home, do everyone a favor and label them.

The problem with edibles is that from the outside, they look like standard baked goods. It’s only when you eat them that you’ll realize they’re laced with pot. And if you’re not expecting to get high, the symptoms may resemble another health issue like a stroke or heart attack. Hopefully, Grandpa can laugh about this someday — but he was probably terrified when it was happening.

3. Potent…Empanadas?

So this empanada had some weed in it and my sister accidentally ate it and she's now in the hospital pic.twitter.com/nSQs0RSOlb

— MOVED TO: @starksclown (@notstarksclown) July 28, 2019

Turns out, edibles come in all forms.

You’re probably most familiar with baked goods, but this empanada accidentally contained weed as well. The moral should be, make sure you don’t eat other people’s food without asking first. You never know what you may expect if you just dive in without permission.

4. Gummy Vitamins

Student: Ms. Moore, I went to the hospital because i ate too many gummy vitamins
Me: well how many did you eat?
Student: all of them

— Karly Moore (@karlykarlymoore) April 2, 2015

There’s a reason why I try not to have gummy vitamins in the house. And it’s because of this.

Gummy vitamins are incredibly beneficial, especially for people who have trouble swallowing actual pills. Since they taste good, they’re also appealing to kids. And since kids can be very picky eaters, it’s a good addition to your daily diet. But sometimes, we may forget that there’s a standard dosage — and, it’s dangerous to go beyond it.

5. Bad Burger King

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This is a hard one to stomach, especially since Whoppers are so delicious.

To be fair, bad food poisoning can happen anywhere. But you may want to learn from this story, as it could have turned tragic if nobody went to the hospital. If you feel sick, or feel like something is very wrong, don’t hesitate to seek out help. With some situations, timing a medical intervention just right is important for a full recovery.

6. Uncooked Chicken

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Next time you “think” your chicken is done, maybe seek a second opinion.

So many food hospitalizations occur because the food wasn’t properly cooked. If you’re in a situation like this poster, where the food is served quickly in a cafeteria setting, it makes sense for a student or new employee to send out food that’s not ready just yet. The second something tastes funny, make sure to stop eating it.

7. Too Many Mashed Potatoes

4 years ago today I went to the hospital because I ate too many mashed potatoes and everyone thought I had appendicitis but I had a cyst too

— 🍒Catie🌹 (@cateburnett) November 2, 2017

This one seems a bit odd, but hey — it can happen.

Mashed potatoes are also at a high bacterial risk when stored as leftovers. ABC News reports that mashed potatoes need to be somewhere between the temperatures of 40 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit — which is a pretty huge range — to attract bad bacteria. It happens more often than you think.

8. Unlucky Nuggets

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This incident also tore down a relationship.

It’s painful to pin this on Chick-Fil-A nuggets, but again, these things can happen anywhere. But here’s some solid relationship advice, if you find yourself in a similar position. If anyone tells you they need to go to the hospital, trust them. The hospital isn’t a fun place, so when someone openly says they need to go, they know something is wrong.

9. Improperly Stored Arby’s

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Think the refrigerator isn’t important? Think again.

This seems like a rookie error. But at the very least, the gesture came from a good place. According to Still Tasty, sandwiches are still safe to eat at around 2 hours out of the fridge, at regular room temperature. So yes, you have a right to question a sandwich left for you on the counter of the break room.

10. Hot Peppers

Usually, hot pepper challenges are relatively harmless. But it all depends on the person.

A 34-year-old man was rushed to the hospital in Cooperstown, New York last year after eating a Carolina Reaper pepper, which is known to be one of the world’s hottest. The pepper brought about a rare case of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome which happens much more often with drugs than vegetables. He recovered, but probably won’t be competing in hot pepper competitions ever again.

11. Shady Sweets

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Even if you’re the most trusting person, you should still be wary of someone peddling food on a bike.

If you’re traveling, there are plenty of better — and way safer — ways to experience international culture. Next time, try finding some of the top-rated restaurants or ask new friends or neighbors for suggestions. That is, unless you’re hoping to spend a couple of days in the hospital over vacation.

12. Gas Station Nacho Cheese

It’s tempting to grab nachos from the gas station, but you might want to hold off.

Back in 2017, five people had to be hospitalized after eating nacho cheese at the Valley Oak Food and Fuel gas station located in Sacramento, California. Their symptoms were quite serious, and they ended up developing botulism. The gas station was no longer allowed to sell food after the incident occurred.

13. Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday

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It must be hard to work in a restaurant where you’re trained to think that everyone is scamming you.

The fact that so many people got sick based on the food — including a child — means that there were probably a few things going wrong in the restaurant kitchen that night. Perhaps if the staff member who picked up the phone had been a bit kinder, they wouldn’t have completely lost their business.

14. Aldi Chocolate

Remember to always read the label — especially if you feel it may be deceiving.

This past April, a woman from Melbourne named Kayley Drummond ended up in the hospital after suffering from an accidental allergic reaction. Aldi reportedly sells some “dairy-free” chocolates, but they happen to be located near their “dairy fine” variety. Drummond reported on her story through Facebook as a way to try and get Aldi to change the labels and make them a little less confusing.

15. Thanksgiving Dinner

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The most awkward thing about Thanksgiving dinner should be meddling relatives, not a hospitalization.

This may be more common than you think. Just imagine — Thanksgiving is one of the biggest meals of the year. People bring a bunch of sides and eat a lot of food. And there’s a lot of pressure for that food to all arrive at the same time. That means that things might get a little undercooked, especially if you’re a new home chef.

16. Peter Pan Peanut Butter

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When peanut butter gets recalled, you may very easily feel betrayed.

Peter Pan paid the price for their salmonella poisoning back in the day. Over 600 people had gotten sick, causing the company to pay around 11 million dollars. Eight million of that was in criminal fines, which was almost unheard of in the food industry up until that point.

17. Hot Cheetos

There’ve been a few cases of hospitalization due to Hot Cheetos, but one of the most memorable was Lil Xan.

The rapper had to clear the air and let his fans know that his hospitalization had nothing to do with drugs. That is, unless you consider yourself to be that addicted to the spicy snack food. Too many Hot Cheetos is bad for your system, so if you’re also a fan, see this as a cautionary tale.

18. Little Caesar’s

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After food poisoning, you may no longer feel a sense of joy when you hear the phrase “Pizza Pizza!”

Pizza is yet another sad and upsetting item that shouldn’t end up in the “sent me to the hospital” list. But, there’s a lot on a pizza that might cause distress — maybe the tomatoes have been linked to something unsettling, or perhaps the toppings sat out on the counter for too long. As always, if something tastes off? Don’t chance it. Even if it’s pizza.