Caterer blamed for improperly stored meat after 51 people fall ill at Iowa wedding
Jun 23, 2023, 11:37 AM
ALTOONA, Iowa (AP) — More than 50 people got sick after attending an Iowa wedding, and the bride’s concerns prompted an inspection that found flaws in the way the catering restaurant stored its meat.
Lindsey Graham-Humphreys told the Des Moines Register that her new husband got sick the morning after the wedding and that she soon learned of others who were also sick. Eventually, she found that 51 people had fallen ill — some for two days or more.
Graham-Humphreys contacted the Fireside Grille in Altoona, which catered the wedding. When she didn’t get a satisfying response, she contacted the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.
The agency cited five violations, including that pork tenderloins were stored at 44.7 degrees Fahrenheit (7.1 degrees Celsius). The state requires meat to be stored at 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). Tomatoes also were stored at a temperature higher than required, the inspection found.
Violations were corrected on site, according to the report.
Messages left Friday with the restaurant weren’t immediately returned.
