Investigators explore possibility of foul play in food poisoning case

Taipei, Sept. 22 (CNA) Prosecutors said Sunday they are considering the possibility of foul play in a food poisoning case earlier this week that left three people dead, after test results from the scene revealed suspiciously high levels of pesticide in the first victim's kitchenware.

Chen Yen-chiu (陳妍萩), chief prosecutor of the Taiwan Taitung District Prosecutors Office, told reporters that investigators are looking into the source of millet and the preparation process of glutinous millet dumplings, which were discovered to contain a high level of terbufos -- a hazardous chemical compound found in some pesticides.

The incident was traced back to the death of an 83-year-old woman identified by her surname Tseng (曾), who died after eating dumplings she made on Sept. 17.

That evening, several relatives and friends who came to mourn her death and ate leftover dumplings and other items in Tseng's kitchen later exhibited symptoms such as vomiting and convulsions.

Two people died, while two of four others who remained hospitalized on Sunday were still in a critical condition, according to local hospitals.

On Saturday, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) ruled out the pesticide as a result of farming residue.

Up to 1,323 milligrams per kilogram of terbufos was detected in a rice mortar in the home of the first victim, while all other pesticides potentially used in millet cultivation had residue levels below 1 mg/kg, the administration said.

According to TFDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富), "the terbufos was not a result of ordinary agricultural practices," suggesting that the toxic substance found in the case was either consumed inadvertently or deliberately introduced as poison.