Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
News

Pure Irony: Maryland Health Official Recaps Foodborne Outbreak Investigation at Last Year’s Food Safety Summit

May 8, 2015

The 2015 Food Safety Summit went off without a hitch last week in Baltimore, MD, despite the social unrest occurring less than a mile from the city's Convention Center. 

Food safety professionals from all over the globe gathered to discuss ongoing issues, emerging trends and solutions affecting the industry. Throughout the 3-day event, one clear message resonated with attendees: food safety is a remarkably complex system, and it will take a village of academicians, growers, processors, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers to continue to improve upon it.

While there was plenty of talk about food fraud, traceability, food waste and the Food Safety Modernization Act, perhaps the most intriguing session was given by Alvina Chu from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH). She gave an eye-opening overview of the foodborne outbreak that occurred at last year’s Food Safety Summit, also held at the Baltimore Convention Center.

What Happened
Chu started her talk by stating the obvious. “Last year’s outbreak was pure irony,” It was April 11, 2014. Baltimore’s local 311 phone service received three reports of illness, followed by a fourth report the next day. Each person said they’d attended the Food Safety Summit and subsequently became ill with diarrhea between April 8 and 10. On April 16, the Baltimore City Health Department began an outbreak investigation with help from the Maryland DHMH.

Epidemiologic Investigation
First, officials put together an online questionnaire that was sent via email to all registered Summit attendees. The survey included open-ended questions since exposure to the outbreak could have originated anywhere--perhaps a contaminated door knob, or a sick speaker who shook hands with many attendees. There was also a review of the food menu, scheduled sessions and activities that the sickened individuals may have partaken in.

Environmental Investigation
Officials launched an investigation into the unnamed caterer that served food--all buffet style--to last year’s 1,300 Summit attendees. This included food testing on some ingredients that were used to prepare dishes that were served to attendees. However, there were no leftovers from the event remaining to be tested. Instead, officials did review the food preparation methods and processes for all food items included on the Summit’s menu.

In a lab analysis, stool samples were tested for a vast number of pathogens:

  • Enteric bacteria: Salmonella, Shigella, STEC, Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens
  • Viruses: Norovirus, Rotavirus, Astrovirus, Sapporo virus

Food samples were also cultured for Bacillus cereus and C. perfringens

Survey Says
The online survey garnered 669 responses, but not all of them could be factored into the investigation’s official findings. Why?

  • Some respondents reported falling ill before arriving to the Summit
  • Some respondents said they were sick, but their symptoms did not fall into the case’s outbreak definition (ie. they did not report diarrhea or vomiting)
  • Some respondents either did not finish the survey, or did not provide sufficient information
  • The survey link was compromised, meaning the survey was available to individuals who may not have attended the Summit

The survey uncovered lots of detail regarding the symptoms most attendees experienced:

  • 98 percent had diarrhea
  • 75 percent had stomach cramps
  • 44.9 percent had nausea
  • 33.8 percent had headaches
  • 24.1 percent had chills

Over half of the sick attendees fell ill during the mid to late hours of April 9 through the early hours of April 10. This finding lead investigators to believe that these victims were likely exposed at the same time and in the same location.

Narrowing Down the Origin of Contamination
Based on survey results, officials came to a number of conclusions. Sickened individuals were five times more likely to be apart of the outbreak if they experienced or engaged in any of the following:

  • Became ill in the days following the Summit, specifically with symptoms of diarrhea and/or vomiting
  • Attended Summit sessions on April 8 and 9
  • Ate lunch on-site on April 9, specifically the buffet-style chicken marsala served by the event caterer

Investigating the Event Caterer
On April 10, the caterer was notified of the possibility of an outbreak. Shortly thereafter, the Baltimore Health Department paid a visit to the catering facility.

Environmental findings: Officials identified and tested two ill foodservice workers. They also reviewed hot-holding and buffet service procedures. Written procedures were also reviewed and were found to be acceptable.

Lab findings: Also tested were 22 clinical specimens from the ill foodservice workers. Two workers tested negative for the pathogens tested while two ill attendees tested positive for Norovirus genogroup II.

Conclusions
Yes, an outbreak did occur. Based on lab testing, the likely etiology for most cases was C. perfringens. There were other illnesses, but they did not appear to be related to the majority of cases in this outbreak.

The outbreak was likely caused by the chicken marsala served at lunch on April 9. However, the Maryland DHMH maintains that they “don’t know exactly what happened.”

Limitations
There were plenty of limitations throughout the investigation. Officials were not able to conduct food testing in real time. Food testing took place on April 16--exactly one full week after exposure is believed to have occurred. Food samples tested could have been from the same manufacturers and lots, but there were not the same exact foods served at the event. Also, there could have also been memory lapses in what attendees ate and exactly when they began to experience symptoms of illness. Finally, there were a number victims who decided not to provide stool samples because they were no longer ill.

Recommendations

  • Caterers and foodservice providers are urged to take precautions to avoid a similar outbreak from occurring again:
  • Ensure that internal food temperatures are measured appropriately and are representative
  • Detailed temperature logs should be updated as frequently as possible
  • Have a plan and adhere to it when corrective action needs to be taken when food temperatures measure less than the critical limit
  • Facilitate early recognition and investigation of outbreaks
  • Required reporters should immediately report suspected outbreaks to their local health department. The general public--those who do not work in health, foodservice or food safety--should still report suspected outbreaks to local officials.

This year's Food Safety Summit employed a different vendor and ultimately resulted in no reported cases of foodborne illness. Next May, the Summit will be held in Chicago, IL.

Tiffany Maberry is the digital editor for Food Safety Magazine.


Author(s): Tiffany Maberry

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Testing & Analysis
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Food Prep/Handling
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Management
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • mold
    Sponsored byIFC

    Tackling Mold Remediation in Food Processing Plants

  • a worker in a food processing plant
    Sponsored byLPS® DETEX®

    How a Beverage Facility Improved Food Safety and Compliance with Detectable Packaging Solutions

  • Two men standing in a produce storage facility having a discussion.
    Sponsored byOrkin Commercial

    Staying Compliant With FSMA

Popular Stories

carton of dozen brown eggs

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Eggs Ends With One Dead, 38 Hospitalized

close-up shot of nickel metal

New EU Maximum Levels for Nickel Now Apply to Dozens of Foods

blue iced donuts next to pie of sugar with blue written in it

FDA Authorizes Use of Fourth ‘Natural’ Food Dye, Gardenia Blue

Events

July 22, 2025

Beyond the Binder: Digital Management of Food Safety

Live: July 22, 2025 at 3:00 pm EDT: During this webinar, attendees will learn best practices for the use of digital food safety management systems across industry and regulatory agencies.

August 7, 2025

Achieve Active Managerial Control of Major Risk Factors Using a Food Safety Management System

Live: August 7, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn about changes to the FDA Food Code, which now includes a requirement for FSMS. 

May 11, 2026

The Food Safety Summit

Stay informed on the latest food safety trends, innovations, emerging challenges, and expert analysis. Leave the Summit with actionable insights ready to drive measurable improvements in your organization. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from experts about contamination control, food safety culture, regulations, sanitation, supply chain traceability, and so much more.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • Food Safety Summit: Foodborne Illness Outbreak Mock Criminal Trial – A View from the Jury Box

    Food Safety Summit: Foodborne Illness Outbreak Mock Criminal Trial – A View from the Jury Box

    See More
  • DOJ Official to Give Keynote Speech on Food Fraud at Industry Summit

    See More
  • nororvirus

    Mock norovirus outbreak at Food Safety Summit infects 202 people in one day

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 1119258073.jpg

    FSMA and Food Safety Systems: Understanding and Implementing the Rules

  • 9781138070912.jpg

    Trends in Food Safety and Protection

  • 1119053595.jpg

    Food Safety for the 21st Century: Managing HACCP and Food Safety throughout the Global Supply Chain, 2E

See More Products

Related Directories

  • Plum Safety

    Plum Safety Training and Hospitality Consultants provide Environmental Health, Safety, and Food Safety solutions. Certified Food Protection Manager Certification, TiPS Responsible Alcohol Certification, Allergen & Gluten-Free Certification, CPR/AED & First Aid Certification. 3rd Party Inspections and Audits. Authorized OSHA Instructor. Lead HACCP Instructor. HACCP plan development & training.
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing