29 cases of food poisoning linked to new falafel restaurant in Baqubah

DIYALA — The Diyala Health Department said 29 people were treated for food poisoning between Sunday evening and Monday morning after eating falafel meals at Ibrahim Al-Khilani Restaurant, which opened Friday in Baqubah.

“All cases were treated in emergency units and patients in stable condition were discharged after receiving medical care,” department spokesperson Faris Al-Azzawi told 964media.

He said health teams collected food samples for laboratory testing to determine the cause. The restaurant has been temporarily closed pending results and legal procedures.

The incident is the latest in a series of food poisoning outbreaks across Iraq. Last week, Baghdad police shut down a restaurant in the Bayaa area after reports of food poisoning. In August, more than 120 people were hospitalized in Duhok following meals from a local restaurant, while two months earlier in Anbar, 214 people were treated after consuming fast food from a vendor in Fallujah. Health officials pledged stricter enforcement following those incidents.