Health Law

South Carolina Grand Strand residents cautioned about possibly tainted food

By Marler Clark

People who purchased a meal at a fund raiser in Conway Nov. 13 are urged to dispose of any leftover food from the fund raiser as an investigation has begun into a possible foodborne outbreak involving the event, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.

'The meals were prepared at a local hunting club and sold at the Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Conway to raise money to benefit the family of an ill child,' said Covia L. Stanley, M.D., director of DHEC's Region 6 public health office, which serves Horry, Georgetown and Williamsburg counties. 'So far, we have received reports of five people hospitalized with gastro-intestinal illness symptoms after purchasing and consuming food from the fund raiser.'

Dr. Stanley said meals sold at the fund raiser included barbeque pork, baked sweet potatoes, cole slaw and rolls.

'Members of the hunting club and the church are cooperating fully with DHEC staff as this investigation continues,' he said. 'Anyone who ate the food from this fund raiser and becomes ill with symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramping should take care to wash their hands thoroughly, avoid preparing food for others and contact their healthcare provider right away.'

Dr. Stanley said anyone with leftovers from that fund raiser should not eat or feed the leftovers to animals. Samples of the leftover food are being sent to the DHEC laboratories in Columbia for analysis.

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on November 22, 2009 (boomark / email).