Nitrite cited as cause of Anhui hotel mass food poisoning.People’s Daily online. Nov,22, 2007. Nitrite mistaken for sugar has been blamed for a mass food poisoning that sickened 74 diners in an Anhui Province hotel 10 days ago. Health authorities in the provincial capital Hefei ordered an immediate shutdown of the Congyang Hotel and promised to fine its management, a spokesman said on Wednesday. [ See ]. Image from Wikipedia.