A CATERING company has blamed a bad batch of eggs for the Queensland outbreak of salmonella poisoning at Melbourne Cup functions.
A 77-year-old woman has died and at least 220 people have reported falling ill amid the widespread outbreak at up to 40 functions. About 700 people could have been exposed by attending the functions affected.
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Piccalilli Catering said it was ``deeply upset'' by the outbreak - the first in its 25 years of professional catering - and may take its own legal action.
``Piccalilli Catering provided catering services to a range of clients at various venues around Brisbane on Melbourne Cup Day,'' the company said in a statement.
``This catering included fresh mayonnaise made by our chefs from eggs purchased from a Brisbane fresh food wholesaler.
``We believe these eggs were the source of a food-borne illness which has affected a number of our clients and their guests.''
The company, which is based at St Lucia, added that it prided itself on ``sourcing the freshest Australian ingredients'' for its kitchens.
``We feel very disappointed and let down that the normally reliable fresh food supply chain has failed us - and our clients - on this occasion.
``Having sourced those eggs from a normally reputable fresh food market, we had no reason to believe they were not up to the very high standards we demand of our suppliers.
``Suffice to say we will not source produce from this supplier in the future. We will leave it to our insurers and lawyers to determine what other action should be taken.
``It is of some comfort to know that there has not been a breakdown in our own quality systems. Indeed, we have never experienced an incident such as this in 25 years as professional caterers.''
The company was ``undertaking a thorough investigation of our supply chain arrangements'' and had reviewed its internal procedures.
``We will continue to co-operate with the state and local authorities, to complete the inquiries. We want to thank Queensland Health and Brisbane City Council's health departments for their professionalism and assistance during this difficult time.''
The Courier-Mail understands staff from the Department of Premier and Cabinet were affected by the outbreak.
A government spokesman said 11 staff from the Department of Premier and Cabinet fell ill from food poisoning.
The ill were from one departmental division and attended a function onsite which was catered by the company involved.
The Premier, however, was not impacted.
He is not believed to have attended one of the functions identified by investigators looking into the outbreak.
Metro North public health unit director Susan Vlack said an investigation was underway into whether salmonella was a contributing factor in the elderly woman's death.
Dr Vlack said the source of the salmonella was yet to be determined but one caterer provided the food to all affected functions.
``We have written to all companies and private function co-ordinators who used this caterer, advising them of the situation,'' she said.
Dr Vlack said the company concerned had stopped operating voluntarily until the investigation into how the outbreak occurred was complete.
If they are found to have breached the Food Act, the company is likely to face legal action.
The functions are mainly believed to have taken place at venues across Brisbane's CBD.
Dr Vlack said the bacteria can be spread person to person. She urged those who are sick to practise good hygiene and stay away from preparing food.
Salmonella can spread to humans via contaminated food, such as meat, poultry and eggs. Most people recover with rest and fluids but it can cause severe illness in young children, the elderly and people who are immuno-compromised.
Symptoms can include a fever, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
The Metro North public health unit has issued alerts to hospitals and infectious diseases doctors about the outbreak.
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