Almost 20 confirmed cases of food poisoning have been linked to food served in a restaurant in Wales.
The results show 19 people tested positive for Clostridium perfringens after eating at The Cwrt Henllys bar and restaurant in early October. Earlier, the media reported that the number of cases was 52 people.
Tests on the patients showed that the food poisoning was caused by Clostridium perfringens. These bacteria form spores that can survive cooking and grow when food is slowly cooled and stored without refrigeration.
Torfaen County Borough Council said microbiological analysis confirmed Clostridium perfringens as the cause, but there was no wider public health risk.
Restaurant response
In a statement posted on Facebook, the restaurant said: “While these results bring some closure to us and our diners, we still have questions that we will likely never have answers to. We are currently investigating a potential supplier as there have been a number of reports of problems with contaminated turkey. We have not received a positive result from any food that was taken from our kitchen and tested.”
“We have made positive changes to ensure that in the future there will never be a cold period because your food will go straight from the oven to the plate, but it is also important to note that we have no real physical evidence that we are responsible. We were never advised to close our kitchen and there was never any further risk to our population.”
Meat products, such as stews or casseroles, and processed meats are the most common sources of illness caused by Clostridium perfringens. Most outbreaks are caused by food whose temperature is poorly controlled.
People usually experience symptoms of infection 6 to 24 hours after consuming bacteria or toxins. Clostridium perfringens toxins cause abdominal pain and stomach cramps followed by diarrhea. The illness usually lasts about 24 hours and is rarely fatal.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Safety News,click Here)
