A Michelin-starred chef in Italy has been sentenced to almost three months in prison after serving raw shellfish infected with norovirus to more than 50 guests at a wedding.
An Italian court sentenced chef Marco Sacco (59) and his restaurant manager Raffaella Marchetti to a prison sentence of two months and 20 days with a conditional suspension for culpable negligence and trade in harmful foodstuffs, the British newspaper writes The Sunday TimesIrish Star and an Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
The court also ordered them to pay more than $21,000 (€20,000) in damages to the couple, their guests and to cover legal costs, according to The Sunday Times.
The ruling related to a wedding reception held in 2021 at the chef’s Piccolo Lago di Verbania restaurant — which boasts two Michelin stars — on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy.
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During the festivities, the wedding guests were served risotto made of raw clams. After the meal, several people who ate the dish complained of experiencing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dysentery and stomach cramps, and some were forced to seek hospital treatment, according to the outlets.
The incident was investigated by Italian police who determined that the guests were infected with norovirus – which was found in raw shellfish in the risotto, according to the outlets.
What to know about the highly contagious norovirus — and how to avoid it
Norovirus, also known as the “stomach bug,” is a contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC noted that people can get norovirus if they eat food or liquids contaminated with it or have direct contact with someone who has norovirus.
In court, Sacco argued that his supplier should be held responsible for the incident since the shellfish served in the risotto were contaminated with norovirus before entering his kitchen. The shells were imported in sealed packages from an Italian company in France, it said The Sunday Times.
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He also insisted in court that food safety procedures were carefully followed and claimed he had previously served more than 3,000 dishes that were similar using the same supplier at his restaurant, according to Sky News.
The chef announced that he plans to appeal the court ruling and continue with business. He said Corriere della Sera newspaper, by The Sunday Times, “We will reopen next week after the winter break here at the lake. We have a spectacular new menu.”
Chef Igles Corelli from the Italian academy Gambero Rosso said for times that the case put the spotlight on serving raw foods such as shellfish, tartare and carpaccio, which he noted were “always problematic”, and said restaurants should be “careful not to take risks” when serving such dishes in the future.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education