Did you do a water change or have visitors that day?
If you have used that container of food before, then it wasn't the food unless it has been sitting around a while and has gone mouldy.
The most likely cause was something on your wife's hands, possibly residue from whatever she used to wash up with before feeding or something from the food she was preparing.
Test the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.
If there's any fish left alive, do a massive water change and gravel clean to dilute anything that might be in the water.