Suspected Food Poisoning Spoils Holiday Cheer in Newark

Newark, NJAn outbreak of foodborne illness in Newark, New Jersey sickened dozens of people over the holidays. For them, Christmas was a little less merry and the New Year certainly got off on the wrong foot.

The foodborne illness incident is thought to have occurred on December 26 at the Iberia Peninsula, a popular restaurant in Newark's Ironbound neighborhood. Employees of an East Ward furniture retailer had gathered there for a holiday dinner. Several of them went home reporting symptoms food poisoning, including diarrhea, cramps and fever. A few wound up in the hospital.

"We have the list of foods served and are in the process of trying to determine the source," said city spokeswoman Esmeralda Diaz Cameron to the Newark Star-Ledger on January 7. She added that city inspectors had been monitoring the restaurant's food preparation since the first reports of the outbreak. The facility, as of January 7, had been allowed to remain open.

While city health inspectors could not identify the source of the salmonella, they planned to test the 27 employees for salmonella and reexamine the sauces used and consumed at the restaurant.

Health officials at Newark confirmed that there had been complaints from patrons who visited the restaurant and had consumed food there on December 24, 27 and 31. However, a mandated citywide furlough prevented health officials from responding to the complaints and launching an investigation into the restaurant until December 29, five days after the first reports of food poisoning on Christmas Eve. Officials were unable to confirm the presence of salmonella in the food consumed by those patrons.

"There are two fellows that are still in the hospital and nine people that are on antibiotics," said Manuel Guerra, a manager at Leslie Furniture. Guerra's nephew was one of three people hospitalized. "Never in my life did I think [his symptoms] could be this bad," Guerra told the Star-Ledger.

According to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, salmonellosis can last for five to seven days, causing diarrhea, vomiting and, in severe cases, chronic arthritis. Infected meat is the most common cause of food poisoning.