A spice mix-up in 2022 led to 14 people in British Columbia and ontario falling ill from a toxic plant sold as sand ginger powder, according to a study published in Toxins in March. 

Described as Ontario’s first mass toxin poisoning event, the incident triggered public health warnings and updates to food safety protocols.

The study, “Learnings from Separate Aconitum Poisonings in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada in 2022,” reveals that monkshood (Aconitum), a poisonous herb containing the toxin aconitine, was mislabeled as sand ginger (Kaempferia galanga). Symptoms, appearing within one to two hours, included irregular heart rhythms, numbness, dizziness and vomiting. Five ontario patients required intensive care, but all recovered.

Dangerous toxin levels
Laboratory tests detected peak aconitine levels of 6,100 ppm in British Columbia samples and 5,500 ppm in ontario samples — well above safe limits. DNA analysis confirmed monkshood, not sand ginger, was present. imported from China in January 2020, the spice was likely mislabeled during distribution in Canada and sold to retailers nationwide.

British Columbia health officials took 13 days to remove the product from shelves, while ontario acted within 11 hours, closing the implicated restaurant. An estimated 61 packages were distributed, with many recalled, though risks lingered: one ontario resident fell seriously ill in October 2022 after using pre-recall stock.

Both provinces updated outbreak response plans. British Columbia faced delays in communication and testing, while Ontario’s swift response leveraged British Columbia’s prior experience. Collaboration with poison control centers improved, and more labels and invoices — often in Chinese — were translated to aid investigations.

Aconitine poisoning, though rare, can be deadly. Health officials have urged discarding sand ginger powder bought before the 2022 recalls, and the study warns of risks from old stocks.

The full study can be found here.