Pars Cove Booth Blamed For Making 696 Sick

Nearly 700 people have reported becoming ill after eating food from the Pars Cove Persian Cuisine booth at the Taste of Chicago.  A total of 28 people have been hospitalized because of illness suffered after eating the tainted food, according to the city Department of Public Health.  97 of the 678 are laboratory-confirmed cases of salmonellosis, with more results pending, the release said. Of the 97, 60 have been identified as Salmonella Heidelberg, one of the more common Salmonella serotypes in the United States.

We have been contacted by a dozen of the ill and continue to investigate the cause of the outbreak.  Tomatoes were a part of the Hummus dish.  Salmonella Heidelberg has been found in earlier outbreaks tied to tomatoes.