From fine dining to hospital beds: Four hospitalized after meal at upscale Beirut restaurant

Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Four customers were hospitalized after dining at an upscale restaurant in downtown Beirut.

The cause was trichinellosis, according to information from the American University of Beirut Medical Center. The infection can result from eating raw or undercooked meat.

The Health Ministry launched an epidemiological investigation, seeking answers to key questions: Who ate what, where, and when did the symptoms appear?

By cross-referencing this information with test results and tracing suppliers, investigators identified the source of the infection.

Following reports on the case, the Beirut governor ordered the restaurant to be sealed with red wax for failing to meet public health, hygiene and safety standards and posing a threat to consumers.

But the investigation did not stop at the restaurant's doorstep.

The restaurant had been sourcing its meat from a warehouse in Beirut's Raoucheh area. Investigators uncovered another problem there.

According to the Beirut Municipality, the warehouse was operating without a license and failed to meet even the minimum health standards.

The facility was equipped to thaw frozen meat, cut it, and prepare it for distribution. Suspicions of fraud also emerged, including the mixing of fresh and imported meat without identifying the animal species from which the meat originated.

The governor also ordered the warehouse to be sealed with red wax. Since it supplied multiple restaurants, tracing the remaining meat supplies and determining where they had been distributed became essential.

The Health Ministry followed up on the case, but the public also needs to know more about trichinellosis.

What began as a meal at an upscale restaurant has led to a sealed warehouse and an ongoing investigation. The decor may look impressive in photos, but customers have the right to feel confident about the food they eat, not just enjoy the atmosphere.