📰 4 sources 14 articles · 1 Nov 2026, 13:23 → 11 days ago

Mass food poisoning in Akkar: hospitalizations, vendor arrested and an emergency government meeting

Several food poisoning cases were recorded across towns in Lebanon's northern Akkar governorate after people ate sweets (including eclair and cake) bought from a street vendor; a number of them were admitted to Abdullah al-Rassi Governmental Hospital in Adbel. The Ministry of Economy and Trade and its Consumer Protection Directorate followed up on the vendor, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called an emergency meeting at the Grand Serail, and the number of cases was later reported to have risen to 28 with the vendor arrested.

📍 Where things stand: The case is under investigation with the vendor arrested; 28 cases were reported while an emergency government meeting on food poisoning and food fraud is pending.

⏱️ Timeline

1 Nov 2026, 13:23 Seventeen food poisoning cases were recorded in the Akkar region of northern Lebanon, according to aljadeed, with no details on the circumstances, the source of the poisoning or the patients' condition.
1 Nov 2026, 13:27 Reports indicated mass poisoning cases in Akkar governorate after eating an "eclair" pastry, with patients transferred to hospitals and health and medical services put on alert in the area.
1 Nov 2026, 13:59 Reports said mass poisoning cases occurred in Akkar villages, while the Ministry of Economy and Trade was tracking a street vendor in connection with the incident.
1 Nov 2026, 14:48 A video of the suspected street vendor circulated, with suspicion focused on sweets he sold, as new details of the incident emerged.
1 Nov 2026, 15:27 Food poisoning cases were recorded in several Akkar towns, including 10 in Bebnin, after eating sweets bought from a street vendor; 17 patients were admitted to Abdullah al-Rassi Governmental Hospital for further treatment, two of them of Syrian nationality, while security agencies opened an investigation to identify the vendor and the source of the sweets.
1 Nov 2026, 17:13 The Ministry of Economy and Trade announced it had stepped into the case, saying its Consumer Protection Directorate contacted hospitals to verify the number of cases and their causes, and that investigations include tracking the street vendor who distributed the goods and checking whether they met health conditions; it confirmed 12 cases at Abdullah al-Rassi Governmental Hospital in Adbel.
1 Nov 2026, 18:13 Reports said the sweets were distributed by a street vendor named Abu Omar Sweid, and that the Consumer Protection Directorate was tracking the source of the suspected products, verifying their compliance with health conditions and their actual link to the cases, while contacting hospitals and hearing residents.
1 Nov 2026, 19:47 Lebanon's presidency of the government announced an emergency meeting for Monday at 5 p.m. at the Grand Serail to discuss food poisoning cases and food fraud, called by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
2 Nov 2026, 09:30 Reports indicated 28 food poisoning cases in Akkar after eating cake and eclair, causing panic among residents, while the competent authorities arrested the vendor over the incident.
2 Nov 2026, 13:13 Eclair pastries were placed under scrutiny after poisoning cases were recorded in Akkar, according to the platform, with no further details on the number of patients, the circumstances or the investigating body.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

⚠️ Sources disagree

Number of recorded cases at Abdullah al-Rassi Governmental Hospital

17 patients admitted to Abdullah al-Rassi Governmental Hospital according to annahar.com
12 confirmed cases at Abdullah al-Rassi Governmental Hospital in Adbel according to Lebanon Debate

Total number of poisoning cases

17 food poisoning cases according to aljadeed
28 cases according to lebanon debate

Figures as each outlet reported them at the time. We do not judge which is correct; numbers often change as events develop.

How the sources covered it

Early reports focused on the overall number of cases and their link to a street vendor's sweets, while later coverage shifted to official action (the Ministry of Economy's statement and investigations) and the government level (the prime minister's call for an emergency meeting); some items carried no details on the number of patients or the source of the poisoning.

aljadeed Limited itself to reporting 17 poisoning cases in Akkar without details on the circumstances, the source of poisoning or the patients' condition.
lebanon debate Followed the incident in stages, linking it to an eclair pastry and a street vendor, citing a video of the vendor, then relaying the Ministry of Economy's statement on 12 confirmed cases, and highlighting the prime minister's call for an emergency meeting, the rise to 28 cases and the vendor's arrest.
annahar.com Provided broader field details: 10 cases in Bebnin, 17 patients at Abdullah al-Rassi Governmental Hospital including two Syrians, and security agencies opening an investigation to identify the vendor and the source of the sweets.
Lebanon ON Focused only on the government angle, reporting solely that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam was holding an emergency meeting at the Grand Serail on the poisoning cases, without details on the number of cases or the sources of poisoning.