Restaurant shut down by ACT Health after 22 people allegedly fell ill
Turkish Pide House in Canberra was forced to close its doors after 22 people fell ill and one was hospitalised.
The October incidents came to the attention of ACT Health on October 12, after it received reports that six separate groups, including people as young as 10 and as old as 80, became ill from the food.
"Symptoms varied and included diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, fever and abdominal pain.
One person was hospitalised," an ACT Health spokesperson said.
One man told The Canberra Times he was left hospitalised after eating a mixed grill lamb and chicken kebab cutlet and kofta with vegetables, rice and salad at the restaurant on October 5.
The man said he was shaking uncontrollably and losing consciousness, could not walk and collapsed.
His partner was unwell for two days afterwards.
He was admitted to the Wagga Wagga emergency department and hospitalised with a temperature of more than 38.5C.
His diagnosis, which was verified by the paper, was diagnosed gastroenteritis.
The man told The Canberra Times when he walked into the restaurant he saw unrefrigerated raw meat on skewers stored next to a hot grill. He also noticed a staff member mixing salad leaves in a styrofoam box with her bare, ungloved arm.
"No gloves, no one [was wearing] anything like that there," the man said.
ACT Health found a number of breaches of the Food Act 2001 and issued a prohibition.
"The business must remain closed until the prohibition order has been complied with and the business has passed a further inspection by ACT Health. As at 28 November 2023, the prohibition order remains in effect," ACT Health said.
The restaurant had only just reopened, following a fire in November 2022.
Jonathan Jackson, 30th November 2023
