To have hoped restaurant might apologise for food poisoning?

[Koulibiak]

Went out with friends and DH on Friday night. Small chain, I think they have three restaurants in total. By Saturday early morning DH was violently sick with food poisoning, this continued for the next 24 hours. It’s pretty clear this was from what he ate at dinner, as we had the same lunch.

I emailed the restaurant to notify them, told them exactly what he had (he was the only one of us to have the chicken), asked them to throw away any leftover chicken from that batch and reminded them to cook meat through (it was done on a bbq).

AIBU to have expected the restaurant to email back, even if just to say sorry? I wasn’t asking for any compensation, but I’d have thought they would be at least a bit concerned that they’re poisoning their customers.

I'm guessing their insurance will have told them not to contact you directly.

There's a whole procedure here. They keep samples of every dish specifically for this purpose, so it can be tested. They should have self-reported, but you could also report them directly yourself if you want. It's not an accusation as such, just a prompt to send their food samples off for testing.

I’ve had noro and the rest of the family didn’t catch it. My husband has also been violently sick and we’ve all eaten the same and none of us has had it.

If it was food poisoning from the restaurant I think EH would have been involved by now as chicken is probably the most common order and more people would have come down with it by now!!

There’s no proof it was food poisoning or if it came from them. For them to admit it was from them could get their restaurant closed down so they are not going to hold their hands up to it, they know you can’t prove anything. Unless you have some of the food he ate and he gets a poo sample tested there no proof at all. I hope he’s feeling better, food poisoning is awful 😞

Could be food poisoning. Could be something else.

My mum had full on noro twice (ended up admitted to hospital one of the times) and the rest of us who had been staying in the same house as her didn't get it at all either time, so it isn't always that contagious. Also, there has been a sickness bug that sounds very similar around here, lasting 24-48 hours.

Who knows, I hope he feels better soon and at least you've let the restaurant know just in case.

How can you prove how it happened?

Fair enough to let the restaurant know, in case, but you have to recognise that it might be something else.

You not getting it is not proof. I went to an event where lots of people (but not everyone) came down with a d&v bug in the next 2 days - I didn't, my 5 month old did - so it wasn't anything people ate!

Of course, if you come down with it a couple of days further on, that will be evidence that it's a lurgy rather than food poisoning, and you should let the restaurant know!

They can't apologise. That would be admitting guilt. They should get back to you within 7 business days to offer sympathies.

I wouldn't assume if was food poisoning tbh. Then you emailed over a weekend and told them how to do their jobs and wanted a response immediately? When you have no proof? YABU.

Dont' worry, if it's noro you'll have symptoms by tomorrow evening.

One family member came with norovirus to a family party of around 15 people. Only 3 of us were unwell. Nobody else in my household caught it. It happens.

Stool sample to the GP will confirm.

I have had salmonella and it was confirmed via stool test.

It’s a common misconception about food poisoning that if people eat the same meal and only one is ill then it must have been caused by something else. People have different levels to tolerance to bugs that may result in food poisoning, so it’s perfectly possible for two people to eat the same “off “dish and yet only one have a reaction. So OP it’s impossible for you to conclude th source of his illness just by going on what he ate and when.

Hmm, I once replied to a customer accusing us over the phone of giving them food poisoning that I was sorry to hear they were feeling unwell - not sorry we'd made them unwell or poisoned them but just a general expression of sympathy that someone was unwell. They kept going on about how ill they were and how it impacted them and I expressed sympathy with the situation, as you might expect from someone paid to pander be nice to people.

They then wrote an email to the manager stating I had apologised for the food poisoning so I must know that it was caused by us (I gave the email and suggested writing it all down and sending in) and they wanted compensation on those grounds, because we'd admitted it.

As they had no proof that we caused anything or of what I'd said (despite claiming they had a recording when the manager contested what I'd actually said - it never actually materialised) they got nowhere.

So no, I doubt you'd get an apology for them giving your husband food poisoning without proof, because they won't be admitting liability on the strength of you saying that you didn't get ill so that's what it must be. I've dodged sick bugs, colds and even COVID while being exposed (looking after people with it) it happens.

You can't possibly know he's got food poisoning, so YABU. Unless you know everyone who ate the same chicken as your DH got sick too, you were really rude to email them like that.

Noro is contagious, but it can take a couple of days to show it’s spread. My youngest started with vomiting on a Thursday, thought it was a random D and V bug. Early Saturday morning it hit me like a freight train. It took until the Sunday for my eldest to be symptomatic. Other child completely fine, didn’t show any signs of infection. It was definitely Noro - unfortunately well remembered from the one other time we all had it.

Yes because then they admit liability.

Environmental health at the council take this sort of thing very seriously. Over the years I've had to report many things to various depts and it's always eh who have been right on it and very concerned.

They even called me to tell me of visit.

They probably need to consult with someone about how to reply, so as not to incriminate themselves, or send you off on one reviewing them negatively online.

Anything that could have a legal implication needs to be dealt with carefully.

I think the email you sent was, quite frankly, patronising, telling a restaurant how to cook properly when you don't even know if your dh had food poisoning in the first place, isn't the greatest start to a conversation.

I imagine you'll hear back from them early next week. I don't think you're likely to get an apology though.

We thought DH had food poisoning a few months back after ordering chinese. That was until 5 days later when I went down with the exact same thing! His came on within a few hours of eating and lasted 36hrs. I hadn’t been anywhere so could have only picked it up from him.

Thank you, that was very useful.

As I said in OP, I’m not asking for or interested in compensation. If it were my business, I think I might have replied with a message thanking the customer for bringing the issue to my attention, and assuring them we will carry out our food safety procedure (whatever that is). So a non committal response that still seeks to reassure the customer that you take food safety seriously.

Maybe it’s because I’ve done crisis management that I find the business’ non responsiveness disappointing (though not surprising).

https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/pcr/article/download/1297/1529

Have you contacted the Council food safety team?
You know it's difficult to get norovirus from foods that ate not oysters or leafy veg/salads, tho hand hygiene is important

@Vousnepouvezpasdiscuteravecdesstupides (great name), yes I just did, so the FSA can take it from here.

What are the timings for food poisoning?

The problem is, you have absolutely no proof that it's food poisoning. And even if it is, you have no proof he got it from that particular restaurant or dish.

Norovirus has a similar incubation period and isn't always contagious. I've had vomiting bugs that have left me bedridden but DH has been absolutely fine despite us sharing a bed etc. The same has also happened in reverse.

You need a stool sample to confirm food poisoning and the restaurant to check their kitchen and food prep,

It might be might not be.

Maybe it’s because I’ve done crisis management that I find the business’ non responsiveness disappointing (though not surprising).

I think you're being a bit unreasonable expecting a response over the weekend @Koulibiak for the type of place you were at.

They likely have admin or similar that work 'business' hours that deal with emails and such, or possibly the owner/higher management who either weren't in over the weekend or are the hands on type either out front and serving or back of house cooking.
Maybe the email has been picked up by a duty manager or similar in the restaurant, but in that case likely forwarded on to someone higher to deal with it - who doesn't work, or isn't working, this weekend. Although an email acknowledgement of yours would have been good practice.

I work in a hotel and we have someone on 24/7 to deal with the phone and guests, however anything like emails or calls for bookings/queries etc are directed to the reception team who work 9-6 there or thereabouts and are dealt with during those hours. Anything like this would be directed to there and they would acknowledge (I realise you haven't had that) and then forward on.

We get around 100 emails a day (and we're fairly small, 30 rooms, 1 restaurant) and emails are dealt with in the order they come in, read & responded to. That takes time, in the nicest possible way, you're not the only person they have an email from and needs or wants a response.