Burien Fresh Smoothies in Burien, Washington is associated with a Salmonella Braenderup outbreak, according to a press release by Seattle-King County Public Health Department. At least seven people are sick, and two people were so ill that they were hospitalized. Officials have not identified the source of illness.
Seven people from three separate parties have been ill after consuming food at the restaurant from August 6 through August 8, 2018. The people who were hospitalized have since recovered and have been released.
Five of the seven patients have tested positive for Salmonella Braenderup. Officials are waiting for genetic fingerprint results, and results from food samples taken from the restaurant.
The restaurant was inspected on August 15, 2018 as part of the investigation. No employee has had any symptoms that are consistent with salmonellosis, the illness caused by this bacteria. But investigators discovered that the restaurant was serving cooked port that was prepared at the owner’s home, which is not an approved food safety practice. Inspectors told the owner to stop serving pork-based food items and to take them off the menu.
But, on August 16, 2018, another person was diagnosed with salmonellosis after eating at Burien Fresh Smoothies on August 7, 2018; that person did not eat any pork items. So Environmental Health inspectors went back to the restaurant and suspended its permit.
You can contact attorney Fred Pritzker at 1-888-377-8900.
Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker, who has filed many lawsuits on behalf of clients sickened in Salmonella outbreaks, said, “Restaurants have a legal obligation to sell food that is safe and wholesome. These outbreaks do not need to happen if food safety regulations are followed.”
Burien Fresh Smoothies won’t reopen until Environmental Health personnel conduct another inspection. The facility must thoroughly clean and disinfect the building, adopt safe food handling practices, and discard any remaining processed ready-t0-eat food items. The owners are also working with public health officials about using approved food sources.
If you ate at Burien Fresh Smoothies from August 7 to August 16, 2018, and have been experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning, which include bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fever, see your doctor.
