Marco Sacco served raw, spoiled clams that contained a virus that causes gastroenteritis
Italy has experienced one of the most shameful episodes in its gastronomic history. The chef Marco Sacco, who has three Michelin stars distributed in several of his restaurants, has received a sentence of two months and twenty-one days in prison for poisoning 53 people at a wedding. The events took place in 2021 in one of the most select places in northern Italy to celebrate weddings: Piccolo Lago di Mergozzo, at the foot of the Alps.
Those affected, including the newlyweds, suffered from vomiting, nausea, stomach ache and other symptoms of food poisoning. They reported the case to the Carabinieri, who opened an investigation. Italian police determined that the source of the poisoning was a plate of risotto with borage and raw clams. This last ingredient was infected with a norovirus, a microorganism that causes most cases of gastroenteritis due to food poisoning.
The chef will have to pay a compensation of 20,000 euros to the victims
Last Friday, a court in Verbania handed down a sentence against the chef, sentencing him to prison and to a compensation of 20,000 euros: 4,000 euros for each of the newlyweds and 250 for each intoxicated guest. From Sacco’s defense, they maintained that the clams already arrived contaminated and that the chef served them raw as he has always done since 2015 “according to the label”. It is not yet known whether the chef will appeal the sentence or not.