Up to 160 sick after holiday party at Melbourne’s Crown Casino

That’s me and Melbourne Milton, having a chat along Southbank one morning last year when we visited Australia. The Crown Casino is tucked in behind us. We spent a couple of nights in the hotel – it was great.

But it wasn’t so great for 160 employees of superannuation fund Unisuper, who decided on a Christmas party at the casino and are now dealing with what appears to be food poisoning.

Unisuper spokesman Paul Murphy said most of those who had been ill after the party appeared to recover within a day or so of becoming sick.

But one Unisuper manager said he was still feeling ill almost a week later. ”I wish I hadn’t eaten that bloody seafood,” he said.

Crown spokesman Gary O’Neil yesterday confirmed government food inspectors had visited on Tuesday to investigate what he believed to be the casino’s first complaint of possible food poisoning.

He said the inspectors assessed kitchen preparation areas and found no issues of concern. Food samples have been taken away for testing.

190 kinds of rotting food found at pub

Environmental health officials found 190 items of "mouldy, slimy, putrescent or expired foodstuffs" and immediately closed the Rose and Crown pub in Thaxted, Essex, U.K. after a surprise inspection on Dec. 9, 2008.

Work surfaces and utensils were smothered in thick grease, floors littered with rotting detritus and fridges covered in mould and dozens of dirty food containers (right, photo from The Telegraph).

The kitchen did not even have any running hot running water meaning staff could not wash up or clean their hands properly.

Inspectors found the owner was still preparing food in the rancid conditions.

The owner of the pub, Nicholas Marchetto, pleaded guilty to 23 food and hygiene offences at Harlow Magistrates’ Court.

He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay another £1,000 towards the council’s costs.