KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — The Kalamazoo County Health Department has issued a statement on the closure of the Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Texas Township, saying they have been working with State Health and State Agricultural officials to investigate the outbreak of Salmonella at the popular eatery.
They identified the strain as Salmonella Mbandaka, the same strain that triggered the Centers for Disease Control to take Honey Smacks cereals off store shelves earlier this year.
Health officials say Cracker Barrel has been very cooperative in dealing with the problem and says the decision to close the restaurant was voluntary.
A recent case of salmonella identified in a patron prompted testing conducted by the corporation. It was those test results that came back this past week that prompted the immediate closure.
The Department of Agriculture is still waiting for their test results.
HCS Director Jim Rutherford says they will be providing oversight as Cracker Barrel vacates the business off 9th Street near I-94. All food items will be properly discarded, equipment will be transported to a storage facility where and will not be reused until cleaned, sanitized and tested. Equipment that can’t be cleaned will be scrapped.
The Health Department will be consulted on what will be done with the building, which is owned by Cracker Barrel.
