Toronto Public Health investigating Salmonella illnesses associated with chinese restaurant; outbreak possibly linked to death

CBC and CTV are both reporting that Toronto Public Health is investigating an outbreak of Salmonella linked to a Chinese restaurant in Scarborough. The outbreak is reportedly linked to the Ruby Chinese restaurant near McCowan Road and Finch Avenue West in Scarborough. At least 19 diners have tested positive for Salmonella after eating there  between Sept. 12 and Sept. 30.

One elderly man who died ate in the restaurant during the affected time frame, but officials are still waiting for tests to confirm whether he did in fact have salmonella poisoning.

Inspectors had been called in on September 29 after complaints but found everything up to code. When they returned Wednesday they found infractions and shut the place down.

The City of Toronto’s online restaurant inspection database shows that the restaurant had passed inspections without conditions eight times before.
 

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About Ben Chapman

Dr. Ben Chapman is a professor and food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University. As a teenager, a Saturday afternoon viewing of the classic cable movie, Outbreak, sparked his interest in pathogens and public health. With the goal of less foodborne illness, his group designs, implements, and evaluates food safety strategies, messages, and media from farm-to-fork. Through reality-based research, Chapman investigates behaviors and creates interventions aimed at amateur and professional food handlers, managers, and organizational decision-makers; the gate keepers of safe food. Ben co-hosts a biweekly podcast called Food Safety Talk and tries to further engage folks online through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and, maybe not surprisingly, Pinterest. Follow on Twitter @benjaminchapman.