On February 2, eleven residents from the Leninsky district of Irkutsk fell ill after eating shawarma. Seven of them were hospitalized with acute intestinal infection. The local health authorities are investigating the incident and the restaurant has suspended operations while the cause is being determined.
According to Rospotrebnadzor, all patients are currently in stable condition with no life threatening cases. The victims suspect the illness came from a shawarma bought at a cafe in the city. The findings have prompted the authorities to pause operations at the establishment involved.
The Investigative Committee in Irkutsk Region confirmed that a criminal case has been opened for providing services that fail to meet safety requirements in connection with the poisoning. Officials are inspecting all public food outlets in the city as part of the ongoing inquiry.
The affected residents expressed confusion, noting that they had bought shawarma in their area without incident before. One victim described eating a large portion and discarding the rest after it tasted odd, oily, and unpleasant. He added that the owner used to cook well and that they had visited the place several times without issue.
The patient and his partner are now staying in an infectious diseases hospital, suffering fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The regional prosecutor’s office has taken the investigation under its supervision.
Salmonella and flies
This region has faced similar emergencies in recent years. In the summer of 2023, Bratsk saw a cluster of 62 people seeking medical care for suspected shawarma poisoning, with 29 hospitalizations. A criminal case followed that investigation, which tied the outbreak to a shawarma cafe named I Want Shawarma owned by local businessman Artush Harutyunyan. He was detained and later placed under house arrest before a court imposed a ban on certain activities. Rospotrebnadzor later appealed as victims sought action, and inspectors found multiple violations in the cafe’s operations. Investigators reported raw meat and eggs stored alongside finished products, vegetables, and pita bread, while there was no hot water or proper bactericidal equipment and flies were observed around the cooking area. Salmonella was detected in swabs from staff and patients, and in the shawarma itself. The court ultimately rejected the ministry’s claim after Harutyunyan suspended the business once the trial began.
The spread of foodborne illness in the region also prompted reviews of safety standards and enforcement practices as authorities continue to monitor eateries for compliance and public health risks.
The geography of food poisoning
September 7, 2023, Lgov saw 22 people poisoned after visiting Shaurma in Gagarina. The next day a hospitalized 22 year old girl died from infectious toxic shock. On August 23, 2023, Moscow reported 53 people hospitalized after eating at Bistro-24 where sanitary violations were noted by inspectors. August 18, 2023, Vladimir faced more than 100 residents seeking medical care due to salmonellosis from shawarma whose meat was purchased without documents and with substandard cooking practices. July 6, 2023, Magnitogorsk reported 25 hospitalizations after shawarma from Good Place cafe, with numerous sanitary violations uncovered. May 8, 2023, Meleuz saw 17 Bashkir residents fall ill after buying shawarma from a shopping center stall, with the infection traced to a buffet employee.
“I didn’t want them to get hurt.”
Many suspects in low quality shawarma cases remain awaiting verdicts. In Kursk region, a stall owner and two relatives were under house arrest until February, with a fatal case and over twenty hospitalizations following a shawarma incident. Employees faced charges for providing services that failed to meet safety standards and for resulting in death, carrying potential prison terms. At a hearing the stall owner stated that he never intended anyone to get hurt and insisted that his work was careful. Local residents recalled no prior complaints about shawarma before the scandal, though many later remembered a suspicious odor after the incident. The broader reaction included proposals for a federal standard for shawarma to help consumers identify safe spots that use fresh ingredients and avoid risky cooking practices. A deputy chairman of the State Duma highlighted the idea of quality stickers on all places where shawarma is prepared from fresh ingredients without unnecessary culinary tricks or fatty additives.
cook at home
Experts say the topic has stayed largely within debates and official statements. They advise careful evaluation when buying shawarma and suggest preparing it at home when possible. A nutritionist noted that shawarma provides essential nutrients and a balanced mix of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, but emphasized the importance of ingredient quality and hygiene. The root of most problems lies not only in meat or vegetables but in cooking tech and personal hygiene violations by cooks. Such issues can lead to salmonellosis, foodborne illness, or dysentery. It is recommended to buy shawarma only from recognized points and to assess the facility’s sanitary conditions at a glance. A clean, centralized or independent water supply, proper sewage, and reliable refrigeration for semi finished products are basic indicators of a safe operation.