Western Hospitality Services extends apology

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By Communications Staff
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The University of Western Ontario Hospitality Services has issued an apology to the Western community and specifically to those who have become ill as a result of a salmonella outbreak earlier this month at Western's Centre Spot.
 
“Our staff and leadership team here at Western care very much about the people we serve.  This has been a very difficult time for everyone involved. We continue to work with the Health Unit to search for the source of the illness," said Susan Grindrod, Associate Vice-President of Housing and Ancillary Services.    
 
To date, the source of the illness has not been identified.  
 
“We have made a number of recommended changes to further improve all our food handling and sanitary practices," said Grindrod.  “These include the installation of hands-free sanitization stations at entrances to the Centre Spot, the hiring of an independent health and safety inspector to provide suggestions on enhanced food safety processes, and further measures to avoid cross contamination between foods."  
 
These steps are in addition to Western's everyday practices which include taking regular, documented temperature checks for refrigerated and hot holding units, collection of food samples, product rotation, quality checks and diligent handwashing procedures for staff.
 
Grindrod said that there have been no known incidents of food-borne illness such as this in 25 years, in spite of the fact the university serves six million customers a year.  
 
Western's Hospitality Services has purchased an ad in Western's student newspaper The Gazette, and in Western News to issue the apology and to outline steps that have been taken in recent weeks.  
 
“Our customers are most important to us.  We will continue to take whatever action necessary to ensure the safety of the food we serve," said Grindrod.

 

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