Nitrite poisoning caused by food contaminated with cooling fluid.

Two fatal cases of nitrite poisoning are described. From the identical clinical picture of both patients (fulminant fall of blood pressure, remarkable cyanosis attributed to methemoglobinemia, and "nasi" vomit), food poisoning seemed to be the most likely cause. Laboratory findings revealed that the food had been contaminated during transportation in a van by a leaking cooling fluid which contained sodium nitrite as anticorrosive agent.