The cause of mass poisoning at the Venesiya restaurant has been established

The Food Safety Agency of Azerbaijan (FSAA) conducted an unscheduled inspection in connection with the mass food poisoning of 55 people during a wedding at the banquet hall of the "Venice" restaurant in the Khatai district of Baku.

According to the FSAA, the inspection revealed numerous serious violations of sanitary-hygienic and sanitary-technical norms in the kitchen where the dishes were prepared.

The absence of disinfection documentation, lack of hand washing facilities, and faulty ventilation were recorded. Corrosion and contamination on kitchen equipment, waste disposal problems, non-compliance with temperature regimes and food storage conditions were also identified.

It was established that some cold appetizers and salads were disposed of by the management of the establishment before the inspection began. Samples were taken from other presented dishes, as well as from surfaces, equipment, and the hands of staff, and sent to the laboratory of the Food Safety Institute.

The test results showed that the cause of the poisoning was non-compliance with sanitary norms and cross-contamination during food preparation and storage.

An administrative protocol has been drawn up against the head of the establishment. The kitchen operations on the third floor of the banquet hall have been suspended until the violations are eliminated. Mandatory prescriptions have been issued, and the collected materials have been sent to law enforcement agencies.

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