Did the Cook Taint the Tacos?

Posted Mar 14th 2007 10:01PM by TMZ Staff
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Drew Barrymore, Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant just had a hepatitis
scare. They, along with other stars, including T.R. Knight, Jimmy Fallon
and Adam Brody, attended a party following a movie premiere last month
-- a party catered by Wolfgang Puck's catering company that used a cook
who had Hepatitis A.
Sandra Bullock, Wolfgang Puck, Drew Barrymore
TMZ has obtained a letter sent to people who attended the February 7
party for the movie, "Music & Lyrics." It informs the guests "about a
public health issue that has arisen..."

The letter asks the guests to think back if they ate uncooked food at
the event. According to the letter, "The following 'uncooked food' was
served at our Event:

Mini Potato Skins Bar: Sour Cream, Chives and Vermont Cheddar
Taco/Fajita Bar: Shredded Lettuce, Chopped Tomatoes, Shredded Cheese,
Guacamole, and Sour Cream
80's Comfort Station: Peanut Butter Fluffer Nutters
Pasta Bar: Caesar Salad
Dessert Station: Vanilla Ice Cream, Bowls of Gummy Bears

But here's the problem. In order for guests to protect themselves, they
needed to get a gamma globulin shot within 14 days of exposure. In this
case, the deadline was February 21. But the letter did not even go out
until March 1.

Sponsors of the party tell TMZ that the L.A. County Department of Public
Health did not even inform them of the problem until February 28th.

TMZ has done several stories on the 14 events at which the cook in
question prepared food. The Department of Public Health only went public
with one event -- a Sports Illustrated party. TMZ wanted to put the word
out to unsuspecting guests at the other parties, but the Health
Department bigwigs refused to disclose the events, saying some were
parties hosted by extremely high profile people -- as if that means
anything. The Health Department left it to the party hosts to contact
their guests but refused to let the media spread the word.

Wolfgang Puck's peeps also would not pony up the events.

The letter claims the Department of Health reassured the hosts "on how
very low the risk of infection is...."

Hosts of the "Music & Lyrics" event tell TMZ as far as they know, no one
who attended the party contracted Hepatits A.

Calls to reps for both Puck and the Department of Health have not yet
been returned.

Goomba38 wrote:
> Did the Cook Taint the Tacos?
<snip>
> The letter asks the guests to think back if they ate uncooked food at
> the event. According to the letter, "The following 'uncooked food' was
> served at our Event:
>
> Mini Potato Skins Bar: Sour Cream, Chives and Vermont Cheddar
> Taco/Fajita Bar: Shredded Lettuce, Chopped Tomatoes, Shredded Cheese,
> Guacamole, and Sour Cream
> 80's Comfort Station: Peanut Butter Fluffer Nutters
> Pasta Bar: Caesar Salad
> Dessert Station: Vanilla Ice Cream, Bowls of Gummy Bears
>
Frankly, what astounds me is how very pedestrian the food was! (And thinking
that fluffernutters--yuck-- were a thing of the 80s is seriously off.)

Janet Puistonen wrote:
> Goomba38 wrote:
>> Did the Cook Taint the Tacos?
> <snip>
>> The letter asks the guests to think back if they ate uncooked food at
>> the event. According to the letter, "The following 'uncooked food' was
>> served at our Event:
>>
>> Mini Potato Skins Bar: Sour Cream, Chives and Vermont Cheddar
>> Taco/Fajita Bar: Shredded Lettuce, Chopped Tomatoes, Shredded Cheese,
>> Guacamole, and Sour Cream
>> 80's Comfort Station: Peanut Butter Fluffer Nutters
>> Pasta Bar: Caesar Salad
>> Dessert Station: Vanilla Ice Cream, Bowls of Gummy Bears
>>
> Frankly, what astounds me is how very pedestrian the food was! (And thinking
> that fluffernutters--yuck-- were a thing of the 80s is seriously off.)
>
>
lol. yeah I noticed that too. Food served aside... I am confused as to
if the health department handled this correctly? I've been reading the
stories for almost 2 weeks now and I can't decide if forcing Wolfgang
Puck to disclose his party list is appropriate or did he get special
treatment that any run of the mill restaurant wouldn't have received?
There is a limited time frame for the exposed guests to get the
immunoglobulin injection if they and their doctor feel it is warranted.
The last time I was aware of a public exposure to Hep A the health
department in Virginia worked hard to get the word out and it was all
tracked back to some worker at a fast food restaurant.