Food Poisoning Outbreak Linked to Restaurant in Newark, NJ

A popular Newark restaurant is under investigation after a salmonella food poisoning outbreak hospitalized a number of customers during the holidays.

A number of diners from a baptism celebration and an employee party who ate at the Iberia Peninsula Restaurant have fallen ill, with a number of them hospitalized or on antibiotics for what doctors suspect is salmonella poisoning. City health officials are currently investigating the restaurant, but have not yet issued either a health warning or confirmed that the illnesses are caused by a salmonella outbreak.

At least nine people who ate at the restaurant on Christmas Eve and the weekend following Christmas have fallen ill according to reports by local media. At least two party-goers, including a 71-year old man who is suffering kidney problems, were hospitalized.

Iberia Peninsula is a popular Spanish and Portuguese restaurant in Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood. It is an outlet of the larger Iberia Restaurant across the street. City health inspectors say they have watched food preparation practices at the restaurant and have determined that it can continue to operate while they await test results on the illnesses.

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing mild to severe food poisoning infections. For most healthy adults, symptoms of food poisoning from salmonella typically resolve after a few days or weeks. However, young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems have an increased risk of suffering severe food poisoning after ingesting the bacteria. If not properly treated, some cases of salmonella food poisoning can lead to hospitalization, dehydration or death.