According to a local police chief, arsenic has been found in the blood of one woman who died in Brazil after eating Christmas cake.

Blood test results on a 10-year-old boy and the woman who made the cake revealed that the substance was highly toxic. Both are still hospitalized.

On Monday, five members of the same family fell ill after eating cake during an event held in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul.

The police sent the cake for testing. Police also reported that during the house search, several food items were out-of-date.

According to local media, the results of the tests on the cake will be available in the next week.

The police requested that the husband of the woman who made the cake be exhumed on Friday. Although he died in September from food poisoning, the police claimed that it was natural.

She is not a suspect at this time. The investigation is still underway.

On Monday, the woman who made the cake and six others from the Christmas Party ate it.

According to Brazilian broadcasters, she was the only one who ate both slices of cake she had made. Her tests revealed the highest levels of arsenic.

Marcos Vinicius Veloso told the local press that family members had complained about the “peppery” taste of the cake.

On Tuesday, around 01:00 local time (04:00 GMT), five members of the family sought medical care at Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes Hospital.

The hospital announced that two sisters had died from cardiac arrest within hours. According to local media, they were Maida Bernice Flores Da Silva (58) and Tatiana Denize Silva dos Santos (43)

According to hospital reports, the third victim of food poisoning died Tuesday night due to “shock”.

She is known locally as Neuza Dos Anjos.

What is arsenic

Arsenic is found in nature.

The inorganic form is toxic, and it has been classified as a carcinogen by the EU in category 1, meaning that the substance can cause cancer.

According to the World Health Organization, people are exposed to contaminants by drinking contaminated water or using it as a food preparation, as well as industrial processes and smoking tobacco.

In soil, arsenic can be found and absorbed by foods in small quantities. These levels are so low that they are usually not a problem.

It is only used in limited quantities as a pesticide and pharmaceutical.