Malaga province history: 46 years since First Communion cakes poisoned hundreds of people

May is the month for First Communions in Spain. These celebrations bring together thousands of families for a hearty lunch. As with many celebrations, cakes are a must.

It was precisely these cakes that were at the centre of a food poisoning incident in Malaga province 46 years ago. It was the main local news story for SUR for several days.

On 13 May 1980, SUR opened the local news section with the following headline: "Nearly 800 people poisoned. Cause: First Communion cakes lacking proper health and safety guarantees."

The article reported that hundreds of people in the Axarquía district had presented symptoms like "vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps after eating the traditional First Communion cake".

Most of the cases were in Vélez-Málaga, in the Torre del Mar, Caleta de Vélez and El Morche (Torrox) areas. The number of people with these symptoms exceeded 1,000 the following days.

The report included photographs of some of the hospitalised patients. The Andalusian health authority launched an investigation to clarify what had happened.

The following day, SUR reported the end of the "dangerous cakes" case, quoting health officials who ruled out spoilt ingredients as the source of the outbreak. Health officials explained that contamination had occurred during the preparation process and that the infected employee had not known they carried the germ.

It was a curious case, one that would be far less likely today, as food safety controls have become much stricter.

Readers can find the original report in SUR's new digital archive: a subscriber service that allows access to issues from 1937 to the present.