Beetroot salad ‘risk factor’ in Cathay food poisoning cases, Hong Kong says

43 passengers on two flights were affected but Cathay Pacific says all of the samples it tested showed no sign of contamination

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Cathay Pacific says the beetroot salad is not served on any of its other flights. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 8:59pm, 24 Jan 2025

Beetroot salad served on two Cathay Pacific flights from Nepal could have been the cause of food poisoning that struck 43 passengers earlier this month, Hong Kong authorities revealed on Friday, although the carrier said all of the samples it had tested showed no sign of contamination.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) also said it had ordered the Hong Kong-based in-flight catering provider to stop supplying the salad as preparation involved processes that required direct hand contact and “might increase the risk of contamination”.

Ambulances were sent to Hong Kong airport on both January 7 and 8 when CX640 flights arrived from Kathmandu after numerous passengers reported symptoms of food poisoning. None of them required hospitalisation.

Following an investigation, the centre said 22 male and 21 female passengers, aged 11 to 75, developed vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, symptoms that were consistent with food poisoning caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.

“The investigation revealed that all 43 affected passengers had consumed food served on board the aircraft and they had not eaten any other common food before boarding,” the centre said.

“The beetroot salad served on board was the only food item that was statistically significantly associated with developing disease, suggesting that the consumption of beetroot salad was a risk factor for the disease.

“Based on the results of the investigation, the CHP did not rule out that the food poisoning clusters were caused by beetroot salad contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus.”