The DC Department of Health (DOH) confirms the reinstatement of operations at the Fig and Olive food establishment in Washington, DC. This follows the food establishment’s closure for six days due to a salmonella outbreak that to date, has caused more than 60 people to become ill, including residents of five states in addition to the District. Ten confirmed cases have been identified in District and VA residents. An additional 150 possible cases are being investigated.
“Over the past six days we have been working very closely with the Department of Forensic Science and persons who ate at the restaurant who may have been impacted by this outbreak to ensure a comprehensive assessment and solution that will sustain the safety of those living, working and visiting our nation’s capital,” said Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, Director of the District of Columbia Department of Health. “Fig and Olive has been very cooperative, responsive and transparent throughout this process and has complied with the directive issued from the department.”
Fig and Olive met the following requirements, which allowed their operations to be restored by DOH:
- Provided evidence/invoices of the clean-up and sanitization of the kitchen/premises.
- Verified employee health training, which included signed forms.
- Destroyed current food inventory.
- Corrected all violations cited in recent inspections.
- Provided a Standard Operating Procedure for food handling and preparation.
- Implemented training program to reinforce good retail practices.
Through follow-up inspections, DOH has been able to confirm that Fig and Olive has removed all conditions that may have contributed to the salmonella outbreak. The department will also increase surveillance of the establishment to ensure compliance with food safety regulations and to ultimately protect the health of the city’s residents, workers and visitors.
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