The Boise Co-Op, located at 888 West Fort Street in Boise, Idaho, has temporarily closed its deli after at least five dozen people tested positive for salmonella – this according to a Central District Health Department (CDHD) spokesperson, Public Information Officer Christine Myron. She told local reporters that as of Tuesday the department had 60 confirmed cases of salmonella, but expected that number to rise to as many as 100. Most cases seem to have been linked to food purchased at the deli between June 1st and 10th of this year, and according to Myron, inspectors “spent about two days working with the Co-Op kind of going from top to bottom, kind of looking at all of their deli practices in terms of how they receive food, how do they prepare it, how do they store it . . .” While Myron did not indicate the source of the outbreak, the Co Op stated in their own release that “foods that were found to be contaminated include tomatoes, onions, and raw turkey. These were foods coming out of the Deli, not our Produce department.”
According to Myron, the CDHD wants to anyone who might be infected, but especially those who might be in the food service industry themselves, in the hopes of preventing the further spread of the salmonella. “We are really interested in talking to someone who works in food service or health care or who works in child care – if they have had symptoms of salmonella they are at risk for spreading it.” said Myron. Myron also noted that some people from out-of-state might have been impacted because the Boise Airport carries Boise Co-Op deli products in some of its food service areas.
Boise Co Op management confirmed that testing done on its food came back positive for salmonella on or about June 15th, and that it was working diligently to reopen with the confidence of the community. The owners of the Boise Co-Op posted this statement on their Facebook page: “The safety of our customers and staff is extremely important to us, so it pains us to share information concerning recalled product from our store that could impact your health.” In a further statement, the Boise Co-Op added, “we deeply regret any illnesses resulting from this outbreak.”
According to local reports, the first Boise Co Op lawsuit has already been filed on behalf of Ada County’s Judy Fisher, a patron who allegedly contracted salmonellosis after eating Boise Co Op food. “This will likely be followed by others,” says Salmonella Lawyer Ron Simon. “In my experience, as the media focuses more and more attention on an outbreak, more victims will come forward and additional people will seek to file their own salmonella lawsuits aimed at recovering lost medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages caused by this seriously dangerous bacteria.” For more information, call one of the salmonella lawyers at Ron Simon & Associates at 713-335-4900.
