Dozens of customers ‘poisoned’ after eating at Box Village Bakery at Sylvania

A WHOLE hospital ward was sectioned off to deal with the victims of a bad batch of chicken rolls served up at Box Village Bakery, in Sylvania, which has been shut down.

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A BAD batch of chicken schnitty rolls was enough to bring a south Sydney hospital to a standstill yesterday.

An area of Sutherland Hospital’s emergency department had to be cordoned off as people continued to show up with gastro-like symptoms.

It is believed up to 100 people fell violently ill after eating at the Box Village Bakery on Box Rd in Sylvania at the weekend.

Ross Paull places a note on the door of the bakery after his wife and daughter fell ill. Picture: John Grainger

Bakery at centre of scare. Picture: John Grainger

Mr Paull was not happy. Picture: John Grainger

And it seems the popular bakery’s chicken and pork rolls were the suspected culprits for the mass outbreak of food poisoning.

People continued to flow into the hospital yesterday complaining of gastro-like symptoms, including stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea, shivers and sweats.

As many as 40 people presented at Sutherland and St George hospitals over the weekend, with 13 of those serious enough to be admitted. A Sutherland Hospital spokeswoman said a further 27 patients arrived at the facility yesterday, but none had been admitted.

“We have a dedicated area in the emergency ­department for people who are presenting with gastro-like symptoms,” the spokeswoman said.

Coralie Peterson takes her friend Ray Pearen to hospital after he became ill soon after eating a roll from the baker, which has been closed down by the health department. Picture: John Grainger

Dejana Miric, who was at the hospital with her sick partner, said people were still “flooding in” to the isolated area at Sutherland Hospital at noon yesterday.

“They have actually just cordoned an entire area in ER with barrier tape to prevent people from walking in that area,” Ms Miric said.

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Her partner, who had eaten a chicken schnitzel roll on both Friday and Saturday, had been taken into the designated area, but she had not been ­allowed in, she said.

He had been sick since Friday with “severe cramping and diarrhoea” after eating at the bakery, across the road from their house, she said.

It is believed the victims may have eaten a pork or chicken roll.

Another man said he had not seen his wife since Saturday, when she was taken to the hospital by ambulance after eating at the bakery. Peter (below), who did not want his last name published, said he and his wife had shared a chicken roll on Friday around 1pm.

The couple had been communicating by text message since then, he said. A day later he had suffered the same fate and had called an ambulance for himself.

“I knew something had to be done to keep up the hydration,” he said.

The Box RD Bakery in Sylvania. Picture: John Grainger

The back of the bakery. Picture: John Grainger

Cooking utensils and soft drinks cans at the bakery today.

The scene inside the store today.

His wife was still ill and had yet to be discharged.

Ray Pearen, 77, got a friend to take him to Sutherland Hospital yesterday after a “messy” few days.

Mr Pearen, who lives alone, had eaten a chicken roll on Friday, he said.

Ray Pearen, who lives alone, had called a friend this morning to take him to Sutherland Hospital, after “messy” a few days.

The 77-year-old said he had eaten a chicken roll from the popular bakery at lunch time on Friday.

It had been a rough few days after he became violently ill on Saturday morning at about 3am, he said.

“It’s been a messy business, you just can’t make it sometimes,” Mr Pearen said.

Anti-nausea medication prescribed by the doctor on Monday had not seemed to work, he said.

“Everything is going straight through me,” Mr Pearen said.

“I feel sick and dizzy,” he said.

Another local man, who did not want to be named, said he was buying nappies for his wife, who was still “bed ridden” after eating a chicken roll from the bakery on Friday lunch time.

At 1.30am the next day “everything started coming up”, he said.

“She is still bed ridden now, I’ve just gone to get some nappies,” he said.

His wife has become so dehydrated over the weekend that he had to take her to hospital yesterday to get an IV drip, he said.

Doctors had told her she should expect to be ill for another five days, he said.

“I’ve never seen her like it before,” he said.

The bakery was extremely popular, he said.

“I can’t tell you how popular it is,” he said.

“It’s a real shame because they’ve mastered the whole [bakery] thing. Everyone gets a schnitty roll,” he said.

Anyone who suffered illness after eating at the premises should contact the Food Authority on 1300 552 406.