On today's date, June 28, in 1988 the Spanish toxic olive oil trail ended after 15 months of investigation. In what is known as one of the worst records of food poisoning in history, an epidemic broke out in May of 1981. Hundreds of Spaniards fell severely ill with pneumonia like symptoms that doctors were unable to treat correctly. Although the judges concluded that the cause of the sickness was bad olive oil, there is much speculation about the epidemic which is commonly known as the Toxic Oil Syndrome. Doctors and government officials who believed it was not bad olive oil, but something else - like fertilizer contaminated tomatoes - were immediately fired from their positions.
The secrecy surrounding the epidemic, and the fact that the majority of breakouts were located near a US military base in Spain, lead many to think it was a conspiracy. This reminds me of the last year's spinach scare and makes me wonder, are you afraid of food poisoning?
Karen Millen
Farfetch
Azzaro
Yes but there's nothing I can do but put it out of my mind, cross my fingers, and keep eating
1Not rally because most of our vegetables come out of our own garden... We like to grow them ourselves
2It's something that I don't think about often, but I hate that the possibility is even there.
3Whoa I had no idea this had happened. Im not too fearful of food poisoning. You just have to be careful.
4I've never had food poisoning, so I guess I tend to think that it can't happen to me. I've known friends who have gotten sick after eating the same dish at a restaurant and that was kind of weird. I was the only one who had ordered something different and I was fine!
5I've had terrible food poisoning before (from eating at a buffet-style restaurant). It was so bad that I had to be admitted to the hospital for intravenous fluids, potassium, and antinauseants. They gave me too much potassium and my hands temporarily cramped up into a claw position and hurt terribly for several hours! Turns out I was allergic to the anti-nauseant and after I was sent home I got lock jaw and had to be rushed back to the hospital by ambulance... worst experience ever! So yes I am very worried about food poisoning!
6No, I'm probably too trusting. I tend to assume everyone is doing their part correctly and nothing bad will happen to me. Dumb, I know.
7I have an incredibly sensitive stomach (doesn't keep me from being an adventurous eater, though
) so I'm always worried about whether or not food is clean. I've been hospitalized twice like grl in the world mentioned, and it is seriously NOT FUN. 
Also, weird story about the olive oil...
8grl & em (and anyone else who's been to the hospital for food poisoning) - oh wow! that sounds terrible. glad you're all better now! I blindly eat anything and just hope for the best.
9Certainly. I had food poisoning this past weekend from eating bad food at a restaurant.
10I've had food poisoning before and it sucks! (At least until it blows -- chunks!) I've read that whenever you eat something that disagrees with you, even if you don't throw up, it is probably mild food poisoning. I do the best I can to be safe in the kitchen, and I take the rest on faith.
11I don't know whether its because I'm studying Food Science at Uni, but I'm completely terrifed of food poisoning. I've had it pretty bad a few times (mostly on holidays in dodgy countries!), bad enough to land me in hospital at 2am after fainting in the elevator and then throwing up all over the road! Not a nice experience...
12i don't even thin about it until there is food poisoning scares that make the news
13I use produce wash from Trader Joe's on all my produce and scrub & soak a lot before eating.
I think we should be worried about the imported food contamination problems lately, along with pet food and toothpaste.
14Agree with Ginger. I'm scared every time I buy cat food now. I can't afford a grinder to make raw food for my kitties, and they get upset tummies from the only affordable US-made food I could find, so I read ingredients like crazy and get worried every time kitty coughs.
15We shop at Dollar Tree sometimes for cleaning products (sponges, dish soap, carpet cleaner) and ever since the toothpaste problem, I've been debating whether it's worth it to continue.
It was not olive oil, but industrial colza oil sold as olive oil.
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