In September of 2005, the Skagit County Public Health Department (SCPHD) learned that two individuals had been hospitalized at Island Hospital in Anacortes, Washington, with apparent foodborne illness. Both people had eaten crab cakes at Adrift restaurant between August 30 and September 2, and had become ill with Salmonella infections within days of eating at the restaurant.
During the public health investigation into what appeared to be a Salmonella outbreak linked to the consumption of food at Adrift, investigators from SCPHD learned that ten whole raw eggs were mixed into each batch of crab cakes, and that the cakes were approximately one and one-quarter inches thick and two inches in diameter. SCPHD’s final report states:
From the inspection it appeared that the crab cakes were not cooked to an adequate internal temperature to kill the salmonella pathogen (108 degrees at measurement vs. 145 degrees required by state code). The cooks were not monitoring internal temperatures in the crab cakes at cooking. The crab cakes were of a thickness to make thorough cooking on the grill without burning unlikely.
Marler Clark represented two women who became ill with Salmonella infections in claims against Adrift. The claims were resolved in July, 2006.