The Washington City Paper has dug into the Salmonella outbreak linked to Fig & Olive restaurants earlier this fall and found that the upscale chain relies on dish components pre-cooked and frozen at a commissary in New York.
According to the paper, the $26 truffle risotto was one such dish pre-made, reheated with cheese, and then garnished. Health officials were unable to obtain products from the commissary for testing. No environmental or food samples from Fig & Olive tested positive for Salmonella, but truffle oil was the suspected cause. At least 60 people were sickened after eating at the CityCenterDC location which was closed for six days as a result in September. Approximately 39 more people were sickened in West Hollywood, CA. Fig & Olive has since pulled its truffle risotto, truffle fries and mushroom croquettes from the menu, and the Washington City Paper reports that the restaurant has changed truffle oil suppliers. “Commissaries are routinely used by upscale restaurant groups that serve a high volume of customers to ensure consistency in food quality and service,” read a statement from Fig & Olive. “We had a commissary that was utilized for specific items by our New York outposts and selectively nationwide, which we closed in September 2015. The vast majority of ingredients served at our restaurants are locally sourced from vendors and farms. Currently all of our dishes are prepared in house at each location.” (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)
