The Osaka Prefectural Government headquarters (Mainichi/Yumi Shibamura)
OSAKA — Twenty-three people who had fallen ill were confirmed to have suffered food poisoning, the Osaka Prefectural Government announced on March 2, after they ate traditional Japanese multi-course “kaiseki” meals at a local restaurant that had just reopened following a prior mass food poisoning.
None of the affected individuals, aged 10 to 86, required hospitalization, and they are all currently recovering. The incident occurred at Japanese eatery Kiichi in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture, where food poisoning was discovered among 33 customers who ate kaiseki or catered boxed meals in mid-February.
As five of the seven employees tested positive for the norovirus at the time, the prefectural government instructed the restaurant to ensure staffers thoroughly wash their hands and properly disinfect the kitchen. The restaurant resumed operations on Feb. 22 after a two-day suspension.
However, on the first day of its reopening, diners once again suffered food poisoning. As a result, the prefectural government imposed an indefinite suspension of business operations based on the Food Sanitation Act and requested the restaurant to submit an improvement plan for its hygiene management.
According to the prefectural government, the recent food poisoning cases were caused by the kaiseki meal served between Feb. 22 and 24. After consuming courses like sashimi, simmered dishes and “aemono” dressed food, the 23 customers experienced symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Some of these customers contacted the Tondabayashi public health center on February 26. Following an investigation, it was discovered that 23 people had reported falling ill, and norovirus was detected in 11 of them.
(Japanese original by Yukina Furukawa, Osaka City News Department)
AloJapan.com