Tag Archives: Reno Provisions

25 sickened Don’t make mousse in a bowl used to prep raw meat: Settlement for kids in Nevada sickened by E. coli

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Brian Duggan of the Reno Gazette Journal reports that more than two years after they got sick from eating E. coli-tainted chocolate mousse cake at two Reno restaurants, six children are now awaiting a Washoe judge to approve their financial settlements, according to court records.

The six Reno-area children were all plaintiffs in a lawsuit that followed Washoe County’s worst-ever E. coli outbreak that also sickened two other children and 17 adults.

The outbreak started in October 2015 when the tainted dessert was prepared in a mixing bowl that had been used to process raw meat at Reno Provisions. The cake was later served at Heritage, located inside the Whitney Peak Hotel, and South Reno’s Twisted Fork. 

Owner Mark Estee later closed Reno Provisions. Estee was a consulting chef at Heritage, which was later changed into the Roundabout Grill. Twisted Fork is still in business and has passed all of its restaurant inspections since the 2015 outbreak with no violations, according to Washoe County Health District data.

In all, the children will get $2.5 million — 90 percent of that shared between two boys who had extensive stays at the UC Davis Medical Center to treat their injuries, according to court records.

Estee did not return requests to be interviewed for this story. A representative with Twisted Fork and victims of the outbreak also declined comment. 

Brent L. Ryman, who represented Reno Provisions, said several lawsuits were initially filed by victims of the outbreak in 2015 and 2016. Those lawsuits were later consolidated into one case that ended in financial settlements without the need for a trial. The settlements with the adults who got sick are private and did not require a judge’s approval. 

Two of the boys developed serious kidney complications because of the E.coli infection, said Bill Marler, a Seattle-based attorney who represented nine of the plaintiffs in the case.

Cross-contamination: Reno eatery tied to E. coli outbreak closing

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A Reno cafe and grocery store that was tied to an E. coli outbreak is closing its doors.

Twisted Fork restaurant in south RenoReno Provisions will operate for a final time Sunday with everything left marked down by 50 percent.

Chef and owner Mark Estee announced the closure on his Facebook page.

Health officials say a dessert manufactured and sold there was what caused customers at the Twisted Fork restaurant to become ill in October.

They say there were at least 21 confirmed or probable cases of E. coli.

A couple is currently suing Reno Provisions for $10,000 over the outbreak.

Estee tells the Reno Gazette-Journal that he plans to convert part of the property into a casual dining restaurant.

Estee says he was already losing money before the E. coli incidents.

22 sick with E. coli: Cross-contamination from Reno Provisions

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Following the recent news that a local E. coli outbreak came from a dessert item made by restaurant Reno Provisions, owner Mark Estee released a personal statement on Wednesday.

cross.contaminationEstee said that he and his employees were “deeply saddened” when they heard that the outbreak was connected to their chocolate mousse, citing that “our first and foremost concern is always the safety of our guests.” He said that they will assist the affected families as they recover.

Estee also expressed his gratitude for the professionalism of The Twisted Fork restaurant, which had originally been linked to the outbreak after they sold the chocolate mousse to their customers. He said that he also respects how quickly the Washoe County Health District was able to investigate the source of the illness.

According to the statement, the E. coli made its way into the kitchen through the cross-contamination of meat and dessert processing equipment.

“Our food production records allowed us to quickly identify that the wrong mixer was used to blend meat, transferring contaminants to the dessert,” Estee said. “This was an isolated incident that violated our preparation protocols.”

Under the guidance of a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) consultant, the restaurant has reviewed its food safety standards and retrained each employee and will continue to do so.

It was the mousse: 21 sickened with E. coli O157 linked to Nevada producer

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An E. coli outbreak that sickened nearly two dozen people and prompted a restaurant in south Reno to voluntarily close has been linked to a dessert food manufactured, sold, and distributed by Reno Provisions, the Washoe County Health District announced Friday afternoon.

ccmarquis22“Our epidemiologists and environmental health staff have identified a dessert that was prepared by Reno Provisions,” Washoe County District Health Officer Kevin Dick said in a news release. “Several people who ate at the Twisted Fork restaurant had the dessert, as did some other people outside the Reno area who then developed the E. coli infection. That commonality led investigators to the dessert supplier, and to tests of food and equipment at Reno Provisions.”

In a prepared statement released Friday, Mark Estee, owner of Reno Provisions, said, in part: “Reno Provisions has taken aggressive steps to make sure its facilities are safe and meet and exceed all food preparation standards … we offer our deepest apologies to all who have been effected by this outbreak. The entire Reno Provisions team has been working tirelessly to solve this problem and ensure that it never happens again.”

The Health District said it will now shift its investigation from the restaurant to the manufacturer. The Health District confirmed that all of the remaining desserts associated with e-coli contaminations have been disposed of.

Since mid-October, 21 confirmed or probable cases of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported in Washoe County.

The owner of Reno Provisions says the the E. coli outbreak has been traced back to a small batch of the restaurant’s Chocolate Marquis Mousse, which “has since been disposed of and discontinued.”

The owner of Reno Provisions says the the E. coli outbreak has been traced back to a small batch of the restaurant’s Chocolate Marquis Mousse, which “has since been disposed of and discontinued.”