Nine new cases of Salmonella infection were reported Friday in Rhode Island in an outbreak linked to Italian pastry. The illness total is now 56.

Almost all of those sickened, including a man who died, were said to have eaten zeppole or other pastries from DeFusco’s Bakery in mid-March. As of Friday, nine people remained hospitalized; 26 people have required hospitalization.

Salmonella has been detected in cardboard cartons the bakery used to store pastry shells, according to reporter Felice Freyer in the Providence Journal.

The boxes at had previously held raw eggs, Freyer reported, leading to speculation about possible cross-contamination. Improper storage of the pastry shells, as well as the cream filling, were among the violations of food-safety code cited by the public health officials who inspected the bakery.

Rhode Island’s state lab is further analyzing samples to see if the strain of Salmonella found inside the bakery matches the outbreak strain.