Posted on 12/16/2006 8:10:45 AM PST by blam
300 now report illness after eating at Indianapolis Olive Garden
By CAROL DRUGA
Associated Press Writer
Published December 15, 2006, 2:44 PM CST
INDIANAPOLIS -- More than 300 people say they became ill, and at least three have been hospitalized, after eating at an Olive Garden restaurant last weekend, health officials said Friday.
The restaurant on Indianapolis' north side was closed temporarily while health officials and the company investigate what caused customers to complain of nausea, vomiting, fever and diarrhea, a company spokesman said.
Steve Coe, a spokesman for the Orlando, Fla.-based chain of Italian restaurants, said health officials are focusing on an employee who had flu-like symptoms similar to those patrons complained of after eating there.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Anyone eating at a Chinese "buffet" is asking for trouble.
I can't see how you can work a line with latex gloves on. And unless you change the gloves every time you touch ANYTHING, you're no better off than with bare hands. If someone's a total slob (gloves or no gloves), they shouldn't be working in a kitchen. They're going to contaminate your food no matter what they wear.
It makes people feel better because you can see if someone has gloves on much easier than you can tell if their hands are clean.
Ironically, low-end foodservice establishments have long required gloves on food handlers. Do you think fewer people get sick at fast food restaurants and county fairs than at high-end sit down establishments where the chef would never wear gloves? I doubt it.
Happy dining!
I wish people would follow those rules.
I've just adopted the "don't watch, don't think about it" approach to restaurants. If I don't know the cook spread the mayo on my chicken sandwich with his thumb, it won't make me sick.
"I can't see how you can work a line with latex gloves on."
It is no different than your own hands; as thin as a nylon stocking but as strong as a nylon cord.
It does not require you change gloves every time you touch something. It assumes six things. It assumes the place is thoroughly clean - all the instruments and the surfaces. It assumes that there is no guarantee that every worker is "clean", in the very strictest sense. It assumes that any worker can possibly pass any uncleaness they have to anything that worker touches, and thus to anyone else who touches whatever was touched by that worker. It assumes that the primary method of a worker spreading some uncleaness from themselves IS BY TOUCH, because tests have shown that to be the case. It assumes therefore that the first point of defense is to isolate any thing that could have gotten onto the hands, before the person came to work, between restroom breaks, between changes of work station, between any break that takes them in and out of the work area, between contact with any surfaces that bare hands are allowed to touch, besides the food at their own workstation. The process isolates any uncleaness to a single individual and under the guard of their own gloves, unless and until they and others break the process.
Glove covered hands cover every crevice on the hands, specially over and around the fingernails, which makes any covered hand "better off" than any bare hand. It does not take a "total slob" to find an incriminating pathogen on a human hand. Repeated tests and surveys of people leaving restrooms, including those who "washed" their hands have proven this.
Wearing gloves and enforcing their proper use can protect food service workers, even from a "total slob", if the total slob is also strictly held to the rules. And, it does not take a "total slob" to bring something that you are not even aware of in on your hands.
"It makes people feel better because you can see if someone has gloves on much easier than you can tell if their hands are clean."
It makes people feel better because it works.
Their salads are fine as are their soups. Twins I know like the toasted ravioli. Caroline likes the place and Alison does not. And Red Lobster shrimp is scrumptous, yum, but probably not as good as, well you know, I think.
My marinara sauce is a knockout with angel hair. Just so you know.
My son likes the Olive Garden, so I try so go once in a while. The worst thing about waiting for a table is that the are always LOTS OF OPEN TABLES! They just don't seat you. They create an aura of a busy place by leaving folks waiting. Next time you go there, take a look back in the seating area while you are waiting.
Huh... Actually, I rather like BOTH Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Neither is what I'd call "the best" food of their type, but there are certain things that they'll advertise on TV that I've found to be very good. And I've never had a bad meal at either a Red Lobster or an Olive Garden.
And yes, I've eaten at a number of really excellent Italian and sea food restaurants over the years.
Mark
Wow, I guess we're the only two who don't hate both OG and RL!
I agree with you, and in fact, you simply can't beat their soup and salad lunch special. And it seems that the only time I ever go to Red Lobster is during their shrimp specials: I absolutely LOVE their "shrimp pasta," which is just fettucini alfredo with shrimp. And I make an awesom Alfredo sauce!
Mark
Did you see some guy Mark posted to me and we have not even been properly introduced. How dare him?
If all illegal aliens were deported, the higher prices we would probably pay for our food and for eating at restaurants would be more than offset by the reduced costs we would pay for public schools, hospitals/medical care, law enforcement, jails/prisons, welfare/food stamps, housing, etc. You really need to look at the whole picture when you discuss how illegal immigration affects our country.
I've never had a reported case of food related illness in any of my establishments. I am a professional and I take great pride in that fact.
Customers like you are a conscientious restaurateur's worst nightmare. Pompous know it alls looking for a problem where none exists.
How long have you worked for the health department?
My guess is about a third of them, if that many. I highly doubt everyone who ate there is claiming to have been ill. If they don't have record of a doctor's visit for the appropriate symptoms within 1-3 days after they ate there they shouldn't be allowed a dime.
Obviously with lines out the door, you aren't the only ones who like the place. Our family has always loved it for the variety of vegetarian choices. Whenever we're on the mainland we purposely look for Marie Callendar's and Olive Garden restaurants, which we don't have here as yet.
To each their own, but that's an overreaction.
When taken in context of how many meals are prepared for customers, our food system is extemely safe. Better than anywhere else in the world.
Red Lobster - the McDonald's of seafood.
No they didnt but they knew someone who ate there and developed the a rare form of sympathy sickness, its horriable.
That sure doesn't stop them from scratching there a$$. I have seen this happen!
...and you ate what they served you the fourth time?
http://www.copykat.com
Save yourselves the misery and make all of their dishes at home until they have a handle on this. ;)
(Do a search on 'Olive Garden' using 'exact phrase' and nearly every one of their recipes is there. I love that site!)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.