Sea Food Restaurant
Owner To Be Criminally
Charged For Health
Violations
For breaching the Ley
Generalde Salud (Health
laws) and putting at
risk the general public,
next week the Ministerio
de Salud is expected to
file criminal charges
against the owner of the
Princesa Marina
restaurant in La Guaria
de Moravia, where 130
people became ill with
food poisoning last
month.
The ministra de Salud,
María Luisa Ávila, made
the announcement
yesterday.
Customers of the Moravia
restaurant became ill
after eating
contaminated sea food.
The Bacterio E.Coli was
found to be the cause of
the intoxication and
forced the closure of
the Moravia restaurant,
as well as the other
restaurants in the
budget sea food chain.
The health ministry has
not filed charges
pending complete test
results it requested
from U.S. health
authorities in Norwalk.
Minister Avila was clear
that unless the owners
of the restaurant
present a correction
plan the restaurants
will remain closed.
At first it was believed
that contaminated water
from a nearby well was
the cause of the illness
suffered at the Moravia
restaurant, as customers
became violently ill
after eating there.
The health minister said
that quantities of
cooked and raw shrimp,
sea food salad, lobster,
chicken, meat and beans
were confiscated from
the restaurant and that
officials of the
Acueductos y
Alcantarillados (AyA) -
Water and Sewer utility-
took water samples that
was tested in their labs
for contamination. The
water was clean,
according to AyA lab
results.
Minister Avila said that
her officials found poor
food handling conditions
at the restaurant and
not following Salud
regulations for food
handling, like having
clean hands, short
fingernails and no
wearing of jewellery. In
addition, Salud
regulations demand that
workers use latex
gloves.
Minister Avila is asking
for customers of
restaurants to file
complaints against
establishments that
place the public health
at risk. |
