7 Surreal Food Disasters From The Boston Molasses Disaster To The London Beer Flood

Published February 28, 2018

From the London beer flood to the Boston molasses disaster, these are the strangest, deadliest food disasters in history.

As well as being our primary source of nourishment, food can also be one of life’s great joys and quite literally a source of life. But sometimes food can be deadly.

There have been many recorded cases throughout history in which food has been a source of death and terror. And we're not talking about the fact that eating Big Macs every day for 30 years might lead to a heart attack or the fact that you could choke on anything you're eating at almost any time. No, we're talking about floods, fires, mass poisonings and other accidental catastrophes in which food items themselves are agents of mass destruction and death.

See some of the strangest food disasters in the gallery above.

Did we omit any epic food disasters? Tell us below.


Next, see more unbelievable photos from the Boston Molasses Disaster. Then, check out some of the most bizzare historical photos ever taken.

author
Laura Martisiute
author
Laura Martisiute is a freelance writer based in Tramore, Ireland. In her spare time, she likes to explore secret beaches, pet cats, and read.
editor
John Kuroski
editor
Based in Brooklyn, New York, John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of expertise include modern American history and the ancient Near East. In an editing career spanning 17 years, he previously served as managing editor of Elmore Magazine in New York City for seven years.
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Martisiute, Laura. "7 Surreal Food Disasters From The Boston Molasses Disaster To The London Beer Flood." AllThatsInteresting.com, February 28, 2018, https://allthatsinteresting.com/deadly-food-disasters. Accessed August 17, 2025.