Mass food poisoning threatened Euro 2016 qualifier

Out of the 20-man team, 16 members had complained of “terrible stomach aches”​ after eating a meal of spaghetti Bolognese on Sunday (September 6) at the squad’s hotel in Minsk.

The Luxembourg Football Federation said they had contacted the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) about potentially rearranging the game.

The game went ahead at the Borisov Arena in Barysaw, Belarus, with the home side winning the match 2-0.

The win took fourth place Belarus three points ahead of Luxembourg in fifth place in qualifying Group C. Both teams have no chance of making the tournament in France next June and July.

Tottenham Hotspur ​

Tottenham Hotspur supporters would sympathise with Luxembourg after their team suffered a similar fate in 2006.

Ahead of a vital match with West Ham on the final day of the football season 10 Spurs players fell ill with food poisoning. Spurs lost the game 2-1 and it allowed their fiercest rivals Arsenal to secure fourth place and a Champions League spot ahead of them.

Meanwhile, food poisoning and pathogens will be among the topics under discussion during the Food Manufacture Group’s food safety conference at the end of this month.

Food safety conference ​

The conference, Safer food and drink – from harvest to home, takes place on September 29 at the Lowry in Manchester and will take a whole supply chain look at food safety and integrity.

It will investigate the latest developments to ensure food safety from the farm, through manufacture and the supply chain, to products and packaging on sale.

Also under discussion will be what more the industry can do to reassure consumers about the safety and authenticity of the food they eat.

The conference will be chaired by Professor Colin Dennis, president elect of the US Institute of Food Technologists, former director general of Campden BRI and past president of the UK Institute of Food Science & Technology.

For more information, including how to book, click here.