Citation

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 1964; 13(30): 258.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1964, (in public domain), Publisher U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A total of 25 individuals experienced sudden nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps from 10-40 minutes after consuming an orange beverage at a Square Dance party of 100 persons in San Diego. Some victims also experienced dizziness and fainted. The average duration of symptoms was 2 hours. A number of guests detected an abnormal taste on first sipping and therefore drank no more of the beverage; they did not become ill. One victim was hospitalized; she had consumed more orange drink than her friends. There were no deaths.

Orange fountain syrup had been mixed with water and ice in a 15-year-old 10-gallon copper-lined thermos container which had been plated with cadmium. The pH of the drink was 2.6.

Both copper and cadmium were recovered from the orange drink on laboratory analysis. Cadmium was present to the extent of 115 ppm mg/L and copper 42 ppm.

(Reported by Raymond B. Redmond, Senior Sanitarian, San Diego County Department of Public Health, and Dr. Philip K. Condit, Chief, Bureau of Communicable Diseases, California State Department of Health.)

Editor's Note: Because of the tendency of cadmium to dissolve in contact with acid foods, sales of cadmium plated containers are banned in many states to prevent such chemical poisonings.