RIYADH: Riyadh Municipality confirmed on Friday that the initial results of an investigation by health authorities suggest a single company was responsible for several cases of food poisoning last week, caused by the bacterium clostridium botulinum, that left dozens of people hospitalized. It also confirmed the chain could be fined over the outbreak, which came to light on April 25, and that all of its branches and food-processing facilities in Riyadh and Al-Kharj remain closed. The amount of any fine will be set according to existing legislation based on a full investigation and taking into account the severity of the effects of the incident on the people who became sick, the municipality added. It did not say how long the company’s branches and other facilities would remain closed, but said all food products they contained would be destroyed and the process of cleaning and disinfecting all buildings, tools and machinery will be supervised by officials from the municipality. “We confirm the safety of food products for restaurants, kitchens, cafes and caterers in the Riyadh region, as no cases have been recorded from other than the aforementioned source,” the municipality said. The statement on Friday did not name the company involved but Arab News reported last week that a number of food poisoning cases appeared to be linked to the Hamburgini fast-food chain. On April 27, Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, posted a message on social media platform X in which he shared information about those affected by the food poisoning. “Six cases have fully recovered after receiving appropriate health care, and two have been safely discharged,” he said. “However, 35 individuals remain hospitalized, with 28 of them in intensive care.” Riyadh Municipality said health oversight teams took prompt action to investigate and monitor the situation as soon as they began to receive reports of the food poisoning cases. On April 26, Nawaf Al-Fozan, the founder and CEO of Hamburgini, shared a video on the chain’s Instagram page in which he confirmed it was involved in the outbreak.