Category Archives: Food Illnesses

by | May 8, 2013 · 6:10 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Nevada Restaurant Sued After “Salmonella Food Poisoning” Outbreak; “Inadequate Hand Washing, Handling Of Food With Bare Hands, Improper Food Storage” Violations Found

“…health inspectors were sent to the restaurant to investigate…they found multiple violations including: employees handling ready-to-eat food with bare hands, inadequate hand washing by foodhandlers; inadequate or missing cooling and heating logs for food; raw ground beef stored Salmonella Enteritidisover cooked chicken and raw seafood; fruit flies and small moths in the cooking area; and broken cooking thermometers and foods not being held at proper temperatures…”

A Pennsylvania woman has filed a lawsuit against the Firefly on Paradise, a Las Vegas restaurant. She is seeking compensation for allegedly contracting Salmonella food poisoning from the restaurant. She is being represented by Fred Pritzker, Brendan Flaherty and Ryan Osterholm, who are also representing several other people allegedly sickened in the outbreak.  Pritzker, Flaherty and Osterholm are part of PritzkerOlsen law firm’s Bad Bug Law Team.

The firm’s client is one of the 89 people sickened in a Salmonella outbreak associated with the Firefly. She and her husband were visiting Las Vegas in late April. On April 24, they ate dinner at Firefly on Paradise. Two days later, she developed symptoms that included nausea, fever, abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea. She is still receiving medical treatment.

According to the complaint, those foods include but are not limited to: pork, calamari, garlic in oil, potatoes, tortilla empanada, lettuce, shrimp, mussels, claims, chicken and fish. The restaurant has been closed during the outbreak investigation to reduce the risk to public health.

For more:  http://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2013/salmonella-lawyers-file-lawsuit-against-firefly-restaurant-in-las-vegas/

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by | April 10, 2013 · 8:20 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Hotel And Restaurant Food Handlers Are The Major Source Of Reported “Foodborne Hepatitis A Outbreaks”; Improved Hygiene And Preventive Vaccinations Lower Virus Transmission

“…the source of most reported foodborne hepatitis A outbreaks had involved infected food handlers, such as those Hepatitis A in Hospitality Industryin restaurants or those who prepare food for social events such as weddings…(workers) who have had possible exposure to Hepatitis A and get the necessary shots within 2 weeks of exposure…will have long-term protection against the virus… people infected with the virus are the most infectious two weeks before they actually become ill (and) can be passing the disease on to other people without even knowing they have it…”

What could be better than dining with friends or family at a popular upscale candlelit restaurant in New York City — a restaurant with an “A” sanitation grade from the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene?

While that’s how the story began for many of the people who ate at Alta restaurant in the West Village from March 23 to April 2, it ended with the jolting news that if they had had dessert during that time period, they should get a shot (and another one 6 months later) to protect themselves against hepatitis A.

The restaurant’s manager, Manny Solano, told reporters that a pastry chef who had traveled to Mexico discovered she had hepatitis A after going to a doctor because she wasn’t feeling well. It turned out she had contracted the virus during her trip south of the border. In the case of a restaurant employee, hepatitis A can be spread to food or surfaces — and from there to people dining or working at the restaurant — if the worker doesn’t follow basic hygiene practices, chief among them washing his or her hands after going to the bathroom.

And while most food handlers with hepatitis A do not transmit the virus to fellow workers or restaurant patrons (based on surveillance data), many hundreds of restaurant workers have hepatitis A every year, according to the article.

The article concludes by saying that reducing foodborne transmission of the virus can be achieved by improving food production and food handler hygiene and by providing preventive vaccinations to people at risk for infection.

For more:  http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/04/dessert-followed-by-a-hepatitis-a-shot/#.UWWNA0nn9et

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by | April 9, 2013 · 6:37 am

Hospitality Industry Health Solutions: Hotel And Restaurant Kitchen Cleanliness Reflects Employees’ “Commitment To Businesses’ Success”

“…the cleanliness of a kitchen is an indicator of workplace culture and the commitment of your employees to contribute to enterprise success Hospitality Industry Kitchen Cleanlinessand value. If you see it getting  messy, you may have underlying problems that need to be addressed immediately…if (employees) are not washing the kitchen in the workplace, it means that they see  themselves more as renters than as owners. It means that they feel transitory,  that they’re passing through. They don’t have a real psychological contract with  the company, space, workplace. That’s a problem.”
So stop what you’re doing and deal with the problem…”

One of the best ways to predict the quality of meals and service at a  restaurant is to examine the restroom. Restrooms — including toilets, tiles and washbasins — are among the  easiest rooms to clean. If a restaurant staff can’t keep the restroom clean,  then you can be sure that the kitchen will be worse. It doesn’t matter if it’s a  fancy, upscale restaurant or simple diner.

Messy kitchens tend to breed foodborne pathogens, poor quality food and  indifference to customers. Conversely, clean kitchens reflect healthiness,  passion for quality and desire to delight customers. That’s why the world’s best  kitchen staffs — even many quick-serve restaurants — consider organization and  technique the foundation of everything else.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/197645/what-workplace-kitchens-say-about-the-health-of-yo.html#ixzz2PyRj0cDc

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by | March 26, 2013 · 5:19 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Restaurants “Cause 250% More Foodbourne Illnesses” Than Eating At Home A New CSPI Study Finds

“…the CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) found there are roughly two and half times more illnesses caused by outbreak_alert_2013_final-page-001foodborne illnesses picked up by dining at restaurants than by eating at home…restaurants were involved in 1,786 outbreaks during the decade, events associated with at least 32,919 illnesses. Private residences were involved in 922 outbreaks resulting in 12,666 illnesses…another 1,229 outbreaks occurred in multiple locations —schools, jobsites, catered events, etc.—and were responsible for at least 42,301 illnesses…”

Some of CSPI’s other findings include:

  • Foods regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were responsible for twice as many fully investigated outbreaks as those regulated by the U.S.Department of Agriculture.
  • Dairy and produce outbreak levels remained relatively unchanged, while most of the declines came in seafood, beef, pork and poultry,
  • Pound for pound, seafood remains the most risky food, followed by poultry, produce and dairy.
  • The most common contaminant/vehicle pairing is Salmonella in poultry.

For more:  http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/03/fewer-people-may-be-getting-sick-from-poisoned-food/#.UVGbf0nn8eE

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by | March 11, 2013 · 8:08 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Washington Restaurant Closed For Multiple Health Code Violations That Led To Food Poisoning Outbreak

“…(violations included)…foods not protected from cross contamination, poor personal hygiene practices and Restaurant Health Code Violationsinsufficient handwashing; equipment not properly sanitized, handwashing facilities not working and an imminent health hazard: establishment linked to a foodborne illness outbreak…”

The Ambassel Bar and Restaurant on Jefferson Street in Seattle, Washington has been closed by health authorities after they discovered several health violations and associated it with a food poisoning outbreak. Public information officer for the Seattle and King County Health Department Katie Ross told Food Poisoning Bulletin that they are aware of two cases of E. coli associated with this restaurant in mid-February. She said that both cases were adults. One person was “briefly hospitalized” and both have recovered.

Seattle and King County health authorities closed the restaurant, which serves Ethiopian food, after a number of food safety violations were discovered and patrons who ate at the restaurant became ill.  Five violations were listed on the notification of closure.

Restaurant employees are a contributing factor in more than 65 percent of all foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S.,  according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Bacteria that causes disease can be transmitted directly from an infected food employee through food. That’s why restaurant employee health and personal hygiene are so important.

For more:  http://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2013/food-poisoning-outbreak-closes-ambassel-restaurant-in-seattle/

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by | February 21, 2013 · 6:31 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Colorado Hotel And Restaurant Sued By Woman Who “Drank Bleach In A Water Glass”; Lawsuit Seeks $100,000 For “Negligence And Breach Of Implied Warranties Of Merchantability And Wholesomeness Of Food”

“…(plaintiff) suffered serious and continual medical problems, including the inability to eat effectively, persistent acid reflux syndrome, digestive problems and other symptoms…(her) relationship with her husband Hospitality Industry Injury Lawsuitsand her ability to care for her children have been affected…among the claims in the lawsuit are negligence, breach of implied warranties of “merchantability and wholesomeness of food,” loss of consortium and a violation of Colorado’s premises liability statute…”

A Basalt woman is suing the owner and operator of the Viceroy Snowmass, alleging that she was served and drank out of a glass that had bleach in it at the hotel’s Eight K restaurant. The incident happened during brunch in February 2011, according to the lawsuit by Janine and John Reichert. The suit, filed Tuesday in Pitkin County District Court, seeks more than $100,000. It lists Base Village Owner, the hotel’s owner, and Viceroy operator KHM Snowmass as the defendants.

After being seated, a waiter poured water for the Reicherts’ party from a pitcher, wrote their attorney, Alan Feldman of Aspen, in the lawsuit. “Immediately after Janine drank from the glass, she jumped up out of her seat, stating that she had drank chemicals and needed to get to the bathroom as she was going to throw up,” the lawsuit says. “Janine’s throat began to burn and swell up. … [She] raced to the restroom, where she became violently ill.”

John Reichert dipped his finger in her glass and allegedly tasted a bleach solution. The wait staff then cleared all of the glasses from the table and disposed of their contents, Feldman wrote. One Eight K employee allegedly told John Reichert that “it is typical for the water pitchers to be soaked in a solution of bleach for sterilization and that the waiter could have picked up a water jug soaking in this bleach solution, believing it to be drinking water,” Feldman wrote.

However, as Janine Reichert was talking to a poison-control operator, a manager allegedly told her that she had ingested merely the residue from the bleach left on the jug.

For more:  http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/156795

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by | February 10, 2013 · 8:14 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: “Norovirus Food Poisoning” Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Against Wyoming Restaurant; Health Department Report Confirms Outbreak Source

“…according to the WDOH, 31 employees who worked at the Golden Corral restaurant were infected with norovirus while working…the lawsuit was filed on behalf of (those who) purchased food or drink at the Golden Norovirus OutbreakCorral Casper restaurant between November 20, 2012 and December 13, 2012 and (were exposed to) diarrhea and vomiting from multiple employees of the Golden Corral…”

Customers of the Casper, Wyoming Golden Corral filed a class action lawsuit against the restaurant Friday, alleging they were part of a norovirus food poisoning outbreak that was traced to food served at the restaurant in December. The lawsuit was filed in Federal District Court in Wyoming (Case Number 13CV024J) by Jason Ochs of The Ochs Law Firm and William Marler of Marler Clark.

According to a Wyoming Department of Health (WDOH) report, at least 305 patrons of the Casper Golden Corral restaurant became ill with norovirus infections after eating at the restaurant between November 17, 2012 and December 19, 2012. Norovirus infection causes nausea, diarrhea and/or vomiting and is highly infectious. Investigators from the Wyoming Department of Health Infectious Disease Epidemiology Program and Casper-Natrona County Health Department stated in their report that they were not able to determine exactly how norovirus was introduced to the restaurant, but said ill food-handlers could have contributed to the spread of norovirus among Golden Corral patrons.

The complaint states that named plaintiff Paul Feyhl, a Casper resident, ate at the Golden Corral restaurant on December 8, 2012 and subsequently fell ill with norovirus. According to court documents, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Mr. Feyhl and “others similarly situated” who purchased food or drink at the Golden Corral Casper restaurant between November 20, 2012 and December 13, 2012 and whose exposure to norovirus was caused by:

1.    Exposure from diarrhea and vomiting from multiple employees of the Golden Corral
2.    Consumption of contaminated food and drink prepared by Golden Corral employees
3.    Exposure to, or close proximity with, persons who ate food or drink at the Golden Corral restaurant or were exposed to the restaurant’s infected employees.

For more:  http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10414517.htm

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by | January 28, 2013 · 10:29 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Studies Show Restaurants Use Cheaper Fish And Mislabel As Red Snapper And White Tuna; Cheaper Fish Substitutes Are Higher Risks For Food Poisoning

In addition to permitting aquaculture operations to use drugs that are banned by other countries, and permits the sale of species that other countries don’t, the U.S. only minimally oversees imports. A Johns Hopkins study FDA food inspectionsshows that the U.S. inspects a miniscule 2 percent of the seafood that comes into the country. By comparison, Japan inspects 18 percent and the European Union inspects 50 percent.

If you’re a fish eater and you keep an eye on the news, you already know that the “red snapper” special at your local restaurant is probably mislabeled. For years, restaurants have been substituting cheaper, more common species like tilapia for the famed red snapper. Last year, however, DNA analyses showed that the problem is more widespread than anyone suspected: In Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, studies showed that 100 percent of restaurants were serving cheaper fish and mislabeling them as red snapper. Similarly, white tuna, yellowtail, Dover sole and wild-caught salmon were also often substituted for other species.

Most of the time, price gouging is the only harm that comes from such mislabeling. Sometimes, however, the danger might be a bit higher. Recently, the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention noted that much of the alleged “white tuna” served in sushi restaurants may actually be escolar, also known as “snake mackerel.” A cheap fish that may cause severe food poisoning with, shall we say, explosive results, escolar is banned in some countries.

For more:  http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/26/fish-food-poisoning-seafood/

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by | January 27, 2013 · 9:59 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: “Severe Food Allergies” Now Classified As A Disability Under ADA Law

“…the agreement says that food allergies may constitute a disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act, if they are severe enough. The definition was made possible under 2009 amendments to the disability law Americans wih disabilities actthat allowed for episodic impairments that substantially limit activity…restaurants who post their ingredients can help those with allergies decide whether they even want to buy the food…”

The new law that now classifies severe food allergy as a disability applies to those severely allergic to gluten, peanuts, shell fish, corn, wheat, and other food allergens. What it translates to is of interest to hospitals, colleges, and other institutions to offer food and put labels on those buffet bars letting people with severe food allergies know what’s in the food. The settlement relates to the disability law. Severe, not mild food allergies can be considered a disability under the law.

A public restaurant also could be liable for a lawsuit by a customer if the business ignored a customer’s request for certain foods. But if the customer had the courage to eat there, even out of spite, and that person became ill knowing the restaurant brushed off the one customer’s request for serving food to which the customer isn’t allergic, or food not containing the ingredient responsible for the severe allergy, that case might be harder to argue because the restaurant might say the customer became sick from food eaten elsewhere.

The restaurant would have to know the customer well enough to have served food for that particular customer enough times that the cooks and food handlers or servers would know the allergy requests of that particular customer. The problem with this argument is that turnover in restaurant employees would throw the customer a curve ball so to speak, since new food handlers or cooks wouldn’t know the customer by face or name unless they were told and remembered or saw where the lists of familiar customers with allergies were posted.

For more:  http://www.examiner.com/article/federal-disabilities-law-may-help-people-with-severe-food-allergies

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by | January 20, 2013 · 8:52 am

Hospitality Industry Employment Risks: Hotels And Restaurants Providing “Paid Sick Leave” Benefits Reduce Employee Illnesses, Work-Related Injuries And Turnover According To Latest Studies

“…it (is) better for an employee to call in sick, take care of their illness and not contaminate the other staff. The number of employees struggling to work while sick was drastically reduced. The H1N1 virus in 2009 Paid Sick Leave In Hospitality Industrydemonstrated the value of keeping sick employees out of the workplace…And best of all, according to the Centers for Disease Control, workers with paid sick leave are 28 percent less likely to suffer work-related injuries. People in construction, restaurants or hospitals who do physically demanding jobs are more likely to injure themselves (or someone else) if they are working while sick, weak and fatigued…”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us that 39 percent of people employed in private industry do not have paid sick leave as a benefit.

And 81 percent of service workers earning $10.50 or less have no paid sick leave. These are the people behind the cash register, serving you food in a restaurant, cleaning offices and hotel rooms and handing you your ticket when you go out to see a movie.

The information comes from studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Women’s Institute of Policy Research study of San Francisco’s paid sick leave ordinance. Before San Francisco enacted its ordinance in 2007, the restaurants and mom-and-pop businesses fought hard to prevent it. They predicted the cost of paid sick days would put them out of business. In 2011 a detailed study was done and employers are happy their fears were not realized. There was no discernible increase in payroll costs.

Turnover decreased because employees didn’t need to change jobs to get paid sick leave. The city ordinance requiring paid sick leave leveled the field for all employers, and good employees stayed in place longer.

For more:  http://union-bulletin.com/news/2013/jan/19/sick-pay-benefits-employers-bottom-lines/

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