Bakery closed after poisoning outbreak

By Shaun Inguanzo
A SPRINGVALE bakery has been forced to shut down after health officials linked it to an outbreak of salmonella food poisoning last week.
The outbreak of salmonella affected nine people on the weekend of 1 and 2 June, with four people still recovering in hospital.
Health authorities are now urging anyone who has eaten at the Springvale Cake and Bakery in the last week before it was shut down to seek medical attention.
The bakery, located at 222 Springvale Road, will only be allowed to reopen if it meets stringent health standards, health authorities said.
Investigators from the City of Greater Dandenong council and the Department of Human Services issued an order last week under the Health Act to force the bakery to shut down.
The order states the Vietnamese-speciality bakery must cease trading, dispose of all its food and carry out a thorough clean-up of the shop.
It must undergo a strict inspection by health authorities before it is allowed to reopen.
Salmonella is a painful bacterial infection with symptoms including headaches, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Victoria’s acting chief health officer Dr Chrissie Pickin said the outbreak should serve as a reminder of the importance of hygienic food handling.
She said hospital tests had confirmed the poisoning in four men and five women.
“Washing hands, storing food at appropriate temperatures, adequate cooking of raw meats and poultry and preventing contamination of pre-cooked foods were basic, but important, steps in preventing food poisoning,” she said.
“A number of deficiencies in food handling and preparation practices have been identified by the investigation.”