Salmonella Outbreak at Taste of Chicago Poisons 475

Updated Aug 1, 2007- Over 700 men and women at the Tasteof Chicago were seriously poisoned with Salmonella after dipping into some tainted hummus at a foodservice exhibit.  Hummus consumed from the Taste of Chicago food fair’s ParsCove Persian Cuisine booth has caused over 700 to come down with a case of salmonella food poisoning, some more serious than others. Overall, at least 31 known cases have resulted in hospitalization.

The source of the previously unknown pathogen appeared to be derived from bad tahini, one of the ingredients used in the preparation of hummus. Laboratory tests confirm two thirds of the cases as salmonella, with more results pending, health officials said. The strain - SalmonellaHeidelberg - is frequently seen in the United States, and causes food borne illnesses.    The lion’s share of the poison cases comes from people who live in Chicago or the greater Cook county area.

During the investigation of the salmonella poison outbreak in order to find the source, inspectors found several violations at the restaurant, including unsanitary conditions, improper refrigeration and mouse droppings, said Frances Guichard, director of food protection for the Chicago Department of Public Health. The eatery, which has no record of major problems with the department, was fined $250 for the rodent issues, she said.

“ParsCove was the only booth in common among all 17 cases," said Susan Gerber, the Health Department's medical director for communicable diseases.  Nonetheless, Chicago officials hastened to underscore how few people were affected by the outbreak out of 3.5 million visitors to the festival. Salmonella is a very common bacteria, they added.



See Also

  1. Salmonella
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