In November, ABC Action News reports, Alessi Bakery failed several state inspection reports, racking up over 75 critical violations. That same month, dozens of customers got sick after eating food at parties catered by Alessi.
Now, the county Health Department and the state have both issued their final reports on the incidents.
The Hillsborough County Health Department investigated that incident and found 26 people came down with salmonella after eating Alessi’s meat-stuffed potato. Then, the county received word of a second food-borne illness outbreak a company appreciation luncheon also catered by Alessi. Inspectors say 15 of 26 people fell ill there, and the cause was salmonella linked to Alessi’s stuffed potato.
Then a third case of food poisoning was reported, this time in Pinellas County. The Health Department says it happened at a birthday party in St. Petersburg catered by Alessi. Thirteen of 36 people got sick with salmonella poisoning; again, the culprit was Alessi’s mini-stuffed potato.
The bakery’s owner, Phil Alessi, has fired his general manager and brought back a former Alessi manager, who was working at his bakery plant to restructure the catering business.