Twelve days after as many as 100 people took themselves to Portimão hospitals over food consumed at the town’s first street food festival, three children are reported to be still interned on drips trying to recover.
Tests have confirmed the presence of salmonella bacteria in “suckling pig and chicken” eaten by revellers who purchased food at the truck supplied by Lisbon business Mister Pig.
But while adults affected have now fully recovered, at least three children have taken far longer to pull through.
The grandmother of two involved told us one aged five has been released from Portimão hospital, “but is still suffering from diarrhoea”, while the other, an eight-year-old, remains on a ward with “three or four” children.
“There is a three-year-old who is quite poorly,” Janet Cruz told us. “I’m not sure why the children were more badly affected, but there were a lot with salmonella poisoning and their parents seem to have overcome the infection faster”.
Beleaguered Mister Pig owner Dário Maio was dismayed by the news and reiterated the availability of compensation through his insurers.
He told the Resident that the mass poisoning has affected his business – a detail confirmed by organiser of the festival João Borralho who said Mister Pig has now been dropped from future fixtures.
“We had a festival in Ericeira last weekend with no problems reported at all,” Borralho stressed.
Nonetheless, Portimão mayor Isilda Gomes has confirmed the town will not be repeating a street food fest next year.
Talking to Jornal Barlavento, Gomes said the negative publicity resulting from the event has had repercussions, “creating a terrible image of the town”, which has “really annoyed” her.
By NATASHA DONN natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
