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Captain Morgan

Chef Extraordinaire
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
14,162
Location
Myrtle Beach
http://www.thesunnews.com/news/local/story/922638.html

Officials with the state Department of Health and Environmental Control are questioning a Conway man who prepared the food investigators believe sickened several people at an event last week at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

The man, whose name has not been released, is cooperating with the investigation, said DHEC spokesman Thom Berry.

When asked if DHEC is treating the incident as suspicious, Berry said, "We don't know yet."

"It does not appear to be anything with the convention center or [The Sheraton]," Berry said. "Everything was done outside of the convention center with the food preparation and delivery."

DHEC officials were expected to test specimens Monday that it received from several people who got sick Thursday night at an event honoring U.S. Rep. Henry Brown. More than 600 people attended the event.

Most of the people affected were suffering from diarrhea and lower gastrointestinal issues, Berry said. Neither Brown nor his wife, Billye, got sick after the event, according to Brown's spokeswoman Sharon Axson.

The results are not expected until at least Wednesday, Berry said.

"Hopefully, they will give us some sort of indication of what we're dealing with," Berry said. The menu consisted of quail, barbecue pork, cole slaw, baked beans, rolls and sweet tea, Berry said.

Chris Hayman of Myrtle Beach believes most of the people who got sick ate the baked beans. Hayman and his two sons - ages 9 and 12 - ate the beans and became ill that night. His two children had to leave school early Friday but were better that night, he said.

Hayman's wife did not eat the beans and was fine.

Hayman said other people who sat with his family at the event had similar stories.

Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes said Monday that he had baked beans and didn't get sick, but said Horry County Councilman Randall Wallace did get sick after eating the beans.

"I was one of the last ones to eat," Rhodes said. "Many of the people who got sick went down the right line. I went down the left line."

Axson didn't know if Brown or his wife ate the beans.

Berry said DHEC is unsure of how many people got sick. He said DHEC officials have been in contact with all of the local hospitals and emergency rooms, and that no one has reported illnesses linked to the dinner.
 
Hey Cappy...We know people in Canada if you need a place to hide, um I mean chill for a few years. What is the statute of limiitations on food poisening in Myrtle Beach ?
 
It weren't me! would suck if it was, cause I can't leave Myrtle Beach,
and that makes hiding from local mobs more difficult!
 
Well them beans can get stinky purty quick. Warden brought some fresh cooked pintos and ham hocks home with her from a family reunion type deal. I could smell em when she walked in the front door. Had a fermented type smell...soured I guess a person could say. That is why the big boy conesewers cooke with bacon grease as opposed to the actual bacon ham etc. Them meats will make it spoil. The grease wont. You leave in the ice box for a month and they still be good if they aint got meat.

bigwheel
 
DHEC: Ground beef caused sickness at congressman's dinner

Posted: Sep 21, 2009 7:57 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 21, 2009 11:23 PM EDT

By Brandon Herring - bio | email

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A report from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reveals what probably caused an outbreak of sickness after a dinner for Congressman Henry Brown in May.

The report also states the person who cooked the food was not a permitted caterer.

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the barbeque dinner at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel on May 28. DHEC's oubreak after-action report shows at least 35 people reported diarrhea and other stomach problems after the event.

After interviews with people who got sick and others who did not, DHEC investigators determined the problem most likely came from a beans-and-meat side dish.

Tom Eshleman, DHEC's Region 6 Supervisor for the agency's food program, said ground beef was browned prior to the event and refrigerated. Then, just before the event, the beef was left out of refrigeration for too long before it was mixed with the beans for final preparation.

While the beef was unrefrigerated, it grew toxic bacteria Eshleman said.

The report does not identify the person who cooked the food for the dinner. However, the report does state the dinner was "catered by an un-permitted caterer" who was "ill equipped to refrigerate food quantities of this amount."

Eshleman said the person who cooked for the event was not required to have a permit from DHEC. He explained a permit is only required for people who meet three basic criteria:

Those who provide food for more than four events year
Anyone who advertises as the food provider at an event
Anyone who has a business license
Because the cook at the dinner for Brown did not meet those criteria, he did not have to be permitted to cater Eshleman said. Essentially, someone asked a private citizen to prepare the food for the event, Eshleman explained.

"Our advice is always seek out a permitted caterer," Eshleman commented.

Despite the outbreak, Eshleman also explained that the food preparer for the event could not be reprimanded with fines or other disciplinary action.

"He was not operating illegally by DHEC regulations," Eshleman said.

The hotel's general manager Suzanne Hinde said the hotel usually does the catering for events in the building, but an exception was made for the barbeque dinner honoring Brown. Other exceptions have been made in the past she said.
 
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