Pizzeria owners insist their food did not cause poisoning

CEBU, Philippines - The owners of Alberto’s Pizza, whose five branches in Cebu City have been closed after some of its customers have experienced food poisoning, yesterday claimed that the doctors have already issued statements that their food was not the cause of the vomiting and diarrhea of their customers.

Rane Montesclaros, legal counsel of the franchise holders, claimed that government doctor Gloria Duterte has already issued an initial findings that the food products served by the food outlet were not the ones that caused the hospitalization of the eight customers, not 10 as earlier mentioned in the news reports.

“The laboratory findings showed that the physical discomfort of the patients cannot be traced to the pizza,” Montesclaros said.

Montesclaros said the student nurses who experienced discomfort after eating pizza did not ate the food at their store in B. Rodriguez, but the food were just delivered to them at the Cebu City Medical Center where they work as interns.

The report said that the nursing students and a teacher were rushed to the hospital last Tuesday dawn after complaining of vomiting and diarrhea some hours after they ate pizza that allegedly contained stale meat.

During the press conference at an uptown restaurant last night, the owners of Alberto’s have admitted that most of their employees do not have sanitary health permits but they assured that once they reopen their business, they will comply with such requirements.

It was learned that only four of the 50 employees at the Alberto’s Pizza’s main store on B. Rodriguez Street have sanitary health permits, while two of the 30 employees at the Paseo branch and five of the 30 food attendants at M. Velez branch have sanitary health permits.

Montesclaros said the incident could be also a blessing in disguise because it will give them time to renovate their buildings to improve their services once they will reopen days from now.

About the issue that some of the Alberto’s Pizza outlets have been posting faked sanitary permits, Montesclaros said it is now being investigated by the City Hall and they have assured a full cooperation during the investigation.

According to him, their main branch along B. Rodriguez has both mayor’s and business permits secured last year and is presently in the process of renewing such permits for this year, adding that their Kasambagan Paseo-branch has sanitary, mayor’s and business permit. — Rene U. Borromeo/WAB (THE FREEMAN)