air bus
After the Christmas party at Airbus Atlantic, a subsidiary of the aerospace group in France, more than 700 employees fell ill. They complained of vomiting and diarrhea. The company restaurant served foie gras and lobster.
12/23/2023 5:56 pm
Online since yesterday, 5:56 pm
Airbus Atlantic employees probably imagined the pre-Christmas period would be different. After Christmas dinner, hundreds of them reported being sick, and the responsible health authority, ARS, is now investigating the mass outbreak of indigestion. They want to find out the cause of the disease: it could be bacteria or an extremely contagious gastroenteritis virus. “The investigation is ongoing,” said a spokesperson for the authority, adding that results should be available next week. A questionnaire was sent to everyone present at the meal.
The gourmet Christmas dinner was served to 2,600 employees at the Montoir-de-Bretagne site in western France. The glamorous party was organized and hosted by the company's own restaurant, the menu included foie gras, scallops, lobster and tournedos, followed by desserts such as chocolate mousse with hazelnut for around 15 euros per person.
“Worse than giving birth”
About 700 people began showing symptoms shortly after dinner on December 14, and most became ill 24 to 48 hours after eating.
An employee named Nolwenn told the Ouest-France newspaper: “I had cramps and headaches like never before. It was worse than giving birth.” Jean-Claude Iribarren of Airbus Atlantic told the newspaper that the food was prepared in the company's canteen. “As every year, we organized a Christmas dinner for 2,600 people with many local suppliers.” They were a little hasty when it came to the causes: “We are obliged to keep samples of all products served in the restaurant”, which will now be analyzed.
The company cooperates with authorities
An Airbus spokesman said no one was “seriously ill”. All employees have recovered well and are working with ARS.
Airbus Atlantic is a subsidiary of Airbus and employs a total of 15,000 people across five countries.