Recently, over 30 exhibitor groups from mainland China, totaling hundreds of individuals, traveled to Germany to participate in the MEDICA medical equipment exhibition. On the opening night, at least 200 Chinese exhibitors experienced a collective food poisoning incident after consuming boxed meals from a local Chinese restaurant named “Brother’s Grill Bar”. Many did not seek timely medical treatment, with some still feeling unwell four days later, prompting an on-site complaint. The Chinese state media only reported on the incident four days after it occurred, shedding light on the event.
According to various mainland Chinese media reports on November 20th, more than 30 mainland exhibitor groups were attending the “2025 Düsseldorf International Medical Equipment Exhibition” in Germany on November 17th. 200 individuals fell ill from food poisoning after consuming boxed meals from the local Chinese restaurant, causing symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, with some individuals experiencing over 40 episodes of diarrhea in one night.
The Chinese Consulate General in Düsseldorf confirmed the news on the 20th, attributing the incident to food safety issues at the local Chinese restaurant that provided boxed meals, stating that “at least hundreds were poisoned,” “at least 4 hospitalized,” and “currently no serious conditions.”
The Consulate General has also stated that they have contacted the involved business, “requesting them to take immediate measures to properly handle the situation and apologize to the affected individuals.”
Despite the dismissive tone from the Chinese Consulate General, the “New People’s Evening News” published on China.org directly headlines “200 Chinese individuals suffer food poisoning, some experiencing over 40 episodes of diarrhea in one night.”
According to sources, the local Chinese restaurant “Brother’s Grill Bar” catered to 500 individuals with boxed meals. Therefore, the exact total number of individuals affected by food poisoning is still unclear. Many of the Chinese participants did not seek treatment at local hospitals but instead took anti-diarrheal medications provided by the restaurant.
On the 20th, the implicated restaurant, “Brother’s Grill Bar,” issued a formal apology letter regarding the food safety incident during the exhibition, dated the 19th. They acknowledged that insufficient thawing and cooking times for meat in the boxed meals led to discomfort among diners and outlined their remediation measures, including purchasing and distributing medication and assisting in getting seriously affected individuals medical treatment.
Many of the victims of this exhibition incident left comments in the apology letter’s section, revealing the actual circumstances of this significant food poisoning episode.
One participant mentioned being knocked down on the first day of the exhibition and having trouble sleeping that night. Their colleague had an even worse experience, suffering from diarrhea all night and making frequent trips to the restroom the next day, missing out on interacting with important clients.
Another individual revealed, “Even today, I still feel weak and need to constantly run to the restroom. It has significantly impeded my work progress.”
A Chinese-Dutch individual named “Moritz” remarked in a video program on the 20th that 17 exhibition groups totaling 500 people at the Düsseldorf medical equipment exhibition suffered from food poisoning. They criticized the irresponsible behavior of the Chinese restaurant, saying, “Because of their inability to work normally, causing long queues for the bathroom, and even a shortage of toilet paper, how do we calculate the loss of business opportunities?”
During the exhibition on the 20th, some Chinese exhibitors still unwell came together to report the food poisoning incident. One individual disclosed in the comments, “Many of us who came to participate have filed reports on site.”
“We are suffering greatly, four days have passed and we are still unwell. One person couldn’t even leave the hotel room on the second day. Incidents as severe as this food poisoning are not common in China; it is embarrassing that it happened in Germany. Such establishments should be thoroughly investigated!!”
Many netizens expressed skepticism regarding the restaurant’s explanation for the meat-related issues. A Dutch-Chinese netizen, Moritz, questioned, “Raw frozen pork not being thoroughly cooked does not lead to food poisoning. Germans love raw pork Mett and it doesn’t cause meat to sour. Improperly stored, spoiled meat is what causes food poisoning. Botulinum toxin can lead to severe consequences, potentially fatal; hopefully, there are no severe cases this time.”
Some Chinese participants expressed dissatisfaction with the restaurant’s lack of apology. “One of our colleagues had to be sent to the hospital, and we haven’t seen ‘Brother’s Grill Bar’ come and apologize. There is no sincerity shown at all.”
Many netizens debated the distribution of medications to the affected individuals by the restaurant. They questioned the legality of distributing anti-diarrheal medication without proper medical supervision overseas and reported the incident and the restaurant’s distributions to the local drug regulatory authority.
Regarding the delay in publicizing the food poisoning incident on the fourth day, informed netizens revealed that the Chinese authorities initially intended to handle the matter internally without public disclosure, but the issue escalated.
Public data shows that the 2025 Düsseldorf International Medical Equipment Exhibition opened on the 17th at the Düsseldorf exhibition center in Germany, focusing on fields such as artificial intelligence and robotics. More than 1300 Chinese companies showcased innovative products and services during the 4-day event, attracting over 80,000 professionals from over 160 countries and regions.