Cairo: At least 30 protesters who have been camped outside the cabinet's headquarters in Cairo for weeks were rushed to hospital on Wednesday suffering from food poisoning, state television reported.

The demonstrators, who began their sit-in on November 25 during wider protests against the ruling military, were taken to hospital in a fleet of 14 ambulances, the official MENA news agency reported.

The independent Tahrir newspaper reported that protesters had eaten hawawshi, a deep-fried minced meat sandwich, before they fell sick.

Hundreds of demonstrators had set up camp outside the cabinet's offices after the military, under pressure from days of deadly protests, sacked the government and named a new prime minister.