Posted on 08/04/2016 2:22:34 PM PDT by rickmichaels
Police in a Quebec town are investigating a young restaurant employee for criminal negligence over a plate of salmon tartare served to a severely allergic client in May that left the man hospitalized for weeks.
Sherbrooke police say a man ordered beef tartare at a local restaurant and specified numerous times to a waiter that he was allergic to both seafood and salmon.
A short time later, police say a plate of salmon tartare was brought to the table and the patron took a bite, unaware of what he'd been served because the lighting had been dimmed.
The client fell ill and was hospitalized for several weeks, even falling into a coma for two days and suffering cardiac arrest.
Martin Carrier of the Sherbrooke Police says he realizes the case is an unusual one, but notes the definition of criminal negligence in the Criminal Code allows for an arrest if there was carelessness or lack of action to ensure the health and safety of others.
Carrier says the waiter allegedly didn't take any notes and the victim repeatedly warned the staffer about the allergy to ensure there wasn't any cross-contamination in the kitchen.
Carrier said Thursday that police arrested a 22-year-old and released him on a promise to appear in court at a later date.
They also searched his home on Wednesday in Sherbrooke, about 150 kilometres east of Montreal.
Police are recommending a criminal negligence charge, but Carrier says it will be up to Quebec's director of criminal and penal prosecutions to determine whether charges will be laid.
Sherbrooke police opened an investigation on July 28 after receiving a formal complaint.
Stay home and fix your own grub.
“If one is so allergic that mere micrograms of a substance can kill you, it would be wise to avoid all restaurants that have such an item on the menu.”
Agree. I really like parents whose child has a supposedly deadly peanut allergy, but rely on other third graders to police their food and hygiene to keep from killing him/her.
If that person is really that fragile, shouldn’t they stay at home eating only food they prepare themselves? And why would they even be in a restaurant that serves seafood-or ordering beef tartare, of all things-never mind that anyone’s nose can differentiate between beef and fish before they even raise a fork. The waiter may have been negligent in communicating with the cook-but someone’s allergies are their problem-not everyone else’s...
Why even go to a public restaurant in the first place if you’re that sensitive. You are literally shopping for trouble. Sometimes, the dishwasher doesn’t rinse every plate or piece of silver. Time to buy a cook book and crock pot for home experimentation, I’d say.
I was told that too.
There’s no Moops!
Good advice if he’s that allergic to sea food and living in a place where that’s the #1 thing on everyone’s menu.
Be like living in Plains, Georgia and trying to avoid peanuts!
Thank goodness I don’t have allergies, let alone severe ones like this poor guy. The punk serving him must be self obsessed with no concern for others. He doesn’t need to be around other people for a good long time.
If you have a severe sea food allergy do NOT use a Surf and Turf restaurant. You are just asking for an allergy attack.
I react to even fish oil gel caps. After the second attack from sea food I avoid any place that serves it. Mine is mild, flu like symptoms, even from a steak cooked on the same grill as sea food, but I’ve learned never enter such an establishment. Lack of commonsense.
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.