Shocking: Glass shards found in food served to hundreds of children in Hungary
The defendants maintain they had nothing to do with the incident and claim foul play. Following a widely publicised case in 2024, a similar scandal has now emerged in Iregszemcse, Tolna County. However, the court did not suspend proceedings and instead delivered a verdict. All three defendants were fined but were not banned from their professions. The court accepted the prosecution’s argument that they were responsible for serving meals containing glass shards to children.
Mild sentence despite endangering hundreds of kids
A bulgur and cauliflower casserole prepared in Iregszemcse in May 2024 made national headlines—not for its flavour, but for the large quantity of glass shards found inside.
The court announced its verdict on this bizarre case on 17 September. While the defendants were only given financial penalties, all three have lodged appeals, claiming they are innocent. They allege the incident was a deliberate act by a third party. One of the accused, Rudolf Nagy, believes someone staged the scandal to prevent him from standing as an independent mayoral candidate in the village of 2,400 residents.
No one dared to stop the serving of contaminated food
So, what exactly happened? According to 24.hu, on 2 May last year—roughly a month before local elections—one of the kitchen assistants discovered a 5 cm piece of glass in food prepared for baking. The chef immediately alerted the first defendant, who then instructed the team to continue cooking. A total of 642 portions were prepared for school, kindergarten and nursery canteens, as well as private individuals.
That afternoon, complaints began pouring in. Several children reportedly pulled glass shards from their mouths—some as large as a 20-forint coin. Others said the food felt gritty. Nevertheless, the second and third defendants instructed the chef to continue serving the meal.
According to the Tamási District Court, all three defendants endangered the lives and physical well-being of those who consumed the meals. Despite this, they were only handed fines of 900,000, 750,000, and 480,000 forints respectively. They are appealing against the charges of wilful endangerment committed in the course of professional duties, insisting on their innocence. Two of the accused continue to work for the same company, as the court did not impose a ban on employment in their sector.
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Defendants claim they were set up
According to Blikk, the accused are alleging foul play, with Rudolf Nagy suggesting the matter was linked to his attempted mayoral candidacy in last year’s municipal elections.
The defence for the third accused attempted to have the proceedings suspended by citing a new incident on 5 September, when chunks of glass and a piece of a scouring pad were reportedly found in food served to primary school children. Additionally, a cleaner required hospital treatment after coughing up a piece of plastic.
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The mayor of Iregszemcse expressed regret to residents and indicated the local council would terminate the existing contract, although he noted the process would take time.
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