The role of the Ministry of Health
Among the main tasks of the Ministry of Health is the protection of public health: it is for this reason that the body constantly monitors the food products on the market and calls them back where health hazards arise or to issue safety warnings. , promptly informing the population about it. Among the most recent safety warnings is one regarding champagne bottles.
Eleven cases of intoxication and one death following the consumption of a well-known champagne
Through the RASFF, Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, 11 cases of intoxication and one death were reported in the Netherlands and Germany, following the consumption of a 3-liter bottle of Moët & Chandon Imperial brand champagne. Ice. Seven intoxications and one victim in Germany, four intoxications in the Netherlands. Affected bottles, identified by batch number LAJ7QAB6780004, would contain MDMA (3,4-methyl enedioxymethamphetamine, known as ecstasy).
MDMA in bottles: the investigation begins
According to the first investigations, the bottles in question would have been manipulated: the caps, in fact, do not correspond to the initial caps and the bottles could also have been completely emptied of champagne and then filled with pure liquid MDMA. Champagne containing liquid MDMA, it was found, would not bubble because it did not contain carbon dioxide; it would have a reddish brown color, which darkens with time; it would have an aromatic-fruity smell, although this was not champagne-like. In Italy, no cases of intoxication related to the consumption of this product have been reported: an investigation is underway in several European countries.
What is MDMA?
MDMA, as stated on the website of the Ministry of the Interior, is a synthetic substance commonly known as ecstasy: it appears as a white or whitish powder or in water-soluble crystals. This substance acts as a stimulation of the central nervous system and its ingestion causes euphoria, increased sensory sensitivity and marked central stimulation. The side effects are numerous and this substance puts pressure on the heart, liver and kidneys. In the event of an overdose, muscle cramps and hallucinations may occur, rarely even asthma attacks and seizures. There are also long-term risks.