A restaurant in Stony Brook, New York, was temporarily shut down after 28 diners got food poisoning. Many of the diners were at the restaurant, Kumo Sushi & Steakhouse, on Saturday, September 9, to celebrate — a 6-year-old was having a birthday party at the restaurant and a woman was having a baby shower.
Some of the diners even went to the hospital for treatment. "Many people were very sick, little kids. My niece took home food and her young son ate the leftovers and then he was sick," the mother of the woman having her baby shower at the restaurant said. Her daughter, who is seven months pregnant, also got sick.
The restaurant was shut down then reopened the next day after "corrective actions were taken," according to Suffolk County Health Commissioner Gregson Pigott.
"We believe the culprit was the rice," Pigott said. "This particular case, that rice was cooked and not stored at a proper temperature and what happens there is you have spores that live in the rice and after the rice is cooked if you don't have it at a proper temperature, these spores can reactivate and become bacteria."
The health department found 15 violations at the restaurant, including eight related to food-borne illness risk factors. "The scary thing about this outbreak is, as a consumer, there's nothing you can do to tell whether the food that you are buying is safe. You can't taste, smell, or see food poisoning. Food that is contaminated may look, smell, and taste just like any other food. This is why it's critical that restaurants who make and sell our food, ensure the food is safe before they sell it," said Jory Lange, a lawyer who handles food poisoning cases.
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On September 11, a statement was posted on the restaurant's Facebook page. "As a family that has proudly served this community for over 50 years, our hearts have always been in the business of creating unforgettable memories through shared meals at our restaurant," the statement said. "We cherish the joy and connections these moments bring our patrons, and it is with this deep sense of commitment that we address the recent events."
"Your well-being remains our top priority," the statement continued. "We are committed to learning from this incident, enhancing our practices, and ensuring that every visit to Kumo is not just a meal but a memorable and safe experience."
