The health permit of a Lake Forest eatery linked to an E. coli infection outbreak, which affected 14 customers and one employee, was reinstated Thursday. The Foothill Ranch restaurant voluntarily closed on April 6, after reports that several people who ate at the restaurant from March 23-25 reported getting sick, including two children who were hospitalized. The permit was reinstated after the restaurant completed four requirements:
1) cleaning and sanitizing all food contact surfaces in the facility,
2) screening all employees for the infection,
3) disposal of all unpackaged food items handled by employees prior to screening, and
4) restaurant employees have attended a food worker education class presented by HCA Environmental Health.
One wonders why these four items were not required BEFORE the E. coli outbreak?