AiBotA lawsuit has been filed against Green Earth Café in Seattle, alleging that a pot of soup served to a customer in January contained an excessive amount of contaminants, which caused the diner to fall ill.
The incident occurred on January 15th, when a customer ordered a bowl of soup. Shortly after consuming the meal, the customer began to experience severe stomach cramps, nausea and diarrhea. It is claimed that this was a result of the excessive levels of pollutants in the soup, which the restaurant has not adequately addressed, leaving diners vulnerable to this risk.
According to a spokesperson for Green Earth Café, the restaurant takes these allegations ‘Very seriously.’ They stated in a statement to the press that, the restaurant ‘Has reviewed our internal protocols and is taking steps to ensure that our cooking and preparation procedures are meeting the required health standards.’
A representative of the law firm representing the customer alleged that, the lawsuit ‘Is about holding the restaurant accountable for their failure to maintain proper food handling and preparation procedures.’ The representative continued, ‘Their lack of attention to detail left a customer vulnerable to an unnecessary health risk, and for that, they need to be held responsible.’
An inspection by the King County Public Health Department found multiple instances of minor procedural infractions at the restaurant, which the Green Earth Café says they have since rectified.
Seattle Public Health Code requires food service providers to maintain a clean environment in their kitchens and stores food at safe temperatures. Restaurants such as Green Earth Café also have to ensure proper procedures in place to prepare food so it will not cause foodborne illnesses in the first place.
In its defense, Green Earth Café maintains it has always conformed to the highest possible health standards. However, an investigation into the allegations has been initiated by the King County Public Health.
The restaurant’s management team expressed regret over the situation, stating in a statement that ‘The health and safety of our patrons is, and has to be our top priority, and we have not done enough to ensure this.’