A wedding celebration in northern China turned into a medical emergency when powdered rust remover was added to a pot of food instead of salt, Reuters reported.
The kitchen mishap sent some 170 people to the hospital. It happened during a banquet at a village in northern Hebei province on Friday, the night before the wedding, according to Beijing News.
"All food was stewed in a big pot but, after dinner started, all of them felt the taste was too bland," the newspaper said.
In an effort to spice up the pot, someone added what they thought was salt, but it turned out to be rust remover. A short time later, the guests were being rushed to hospital.
In a separate incident a day earlier, more than 60 wedding guest were taken to the hospital with similar symptoms including vomiting, stomach pains and diarrhea. Duck, donkey meat, chicken and shrimp were the main dishes served at that dinner, according to the news agency.
In both cases, most of the guests were released from the hospital.
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