More than 700 Airbus Atlantic employees are believed to have fallen ill after the company's Christmas dinner in France. Fox news reported. The festive celebration was notably organized and catered by the company's restaurant at its Montoir-de-Bretagne location in the Loire-Atlantique region of western France. 2,600 employees attended the dinner organized on December 14.
Like the Guardian, the sumptuous gourmet spread featured foie gras, scallops, lobster and beef tenderloin, topped off with desserts like ice cubes and hazelnut chocolate mousse – all for just about $16 per person. However, within 24 to 48 hours after dinner, hundreds of people showed “clinical signs of vomiting and/or diarrhea.”
A spokesperson for the European airline told DailyExpertNews that Airbus Atlantic employees “became ill after contracting a foodborne illness after eating the company's organized Christmas lunch.”
The French health agency Agence Regionale de Sant (ARS) has launched an investigation to determine the reason for the mass food poisoning. Health officials are investigating whether the cause of the illness is bacteria in the food or a highly contagious gastroenteritis virus.
''This appears to be an isolated event and all employees are recovering well. The health of our employees remains our primary concern and we are working fully with the ARS health agency to determine the cause of the illness and ensure this does not happen again in the future,” a company spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that no one had become “seriously ill.”
However, one affected worker said she had colic and headaches worse than when she gave birth. One worker, named Nolwenn, told the Ouest-France newspaper: 'I had colic and a headache like I've never had before. It was worse than childbirth.”
Jean-Claude Iribarren, secretary of Airbus Atlantic's working committee, said the food was prepared in the company's canteen.
''Like every year, we organized a Christmas dinner for 2,600 people with many local suppliers. People have been a little hasty about the causes. We are obliged to keep samples of every product served in the restaurant. They will be analyzed by the ARS [health authorities]. The investigation will continue for several days.”
According to BBCAirbus Atlantic is a subsidiary of the world's largest aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, and employs 15,000 people in five countries.