iCook boss says officials ‘must explain’ slug saga closure

A revelation over a sandwich that was used to ruin a Melbourne food company will see a parliamentary inquiry into the controversy reopened.

The parliamentary inquiry into the iCook Foods closure is to be reopened, MP Fiona Patten says.

The move follows a series of recent revelations about the circumstances of the company’s closure, ordered by the Department of Health and Human Services.

These included the Herald Sun revealing DHHS had received a Knox Council report that an elderly woman who died with listeria in her system had not eaten a sandwich prepared by iCook.

The alleged sandwich connection was used as justification for the shutdown, despite DHHS already having a copy of the report clearing iCook.

Ms Patten has tweeted this afternoon that: “The legal and social issues committee, which I chair, will reopen their investigation into the closure of iCook Foods after new information not previously disclosed to the inquiry came to light in the last few days.”

iCook founder Ian Cook welcomed resumption of the inquiry.

“Let’s hope democracy is served by this second round. There were a lot of lies by omission,” he said.

ICOOK BOSS SAYS OFFICIALS ‘MUST EXPLAIN’ SLUG SAGA

The boss of iCook Foods says authorities must explain why they zeroed in on his company after the nursing home death of an elderly woman.

Dandenong South factory iCook was ordered to shut — with 41 people losing their jobs — after 84-year-old Jean Painter died at the Knox Private Hospital in February, 2019.

Mrs Painter was later found to have had traces of listeria in her system, though this was not the cause of her death.

The Herald Sun revealed on Monday a Knox Council health official’s February 21 report found she had not consumed a sandwich from iCook, one of six providers at the hospital.

But the Department of Health and Human Services went ahead and hours later ordered the closure of iCook.

iCook boss Ian Cook. Picture: Alex Coppel

Mr Cook said it should be made clear on what and whose evidence his firm came under scrutiny, leading to a prosecution carrying potential prison terms.

“They got it from somewhere or they made it up. I’m going with the latter,” Mr Cook said.

“This has to be resolved.”

Mr Cook said questions also lingered about whether other Knox Private Hospital food providers were subjected to inspections in the aftermath of Mrs Painter’s death.

He said he was certain they were not and that iCook was singled out for reasons unclear.

“They didn’t inspect the other providers. They would have said so if they had,” Mr Cook said.

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the committee had the power to call back witnesses and quiz them on their evidence even while a police investigation was under way.

“There are so many questions the government has to answer on this,” she said.

“Why was this critical report not provided to the parliamentary inquiry and why has this evidence been hidden for so long.”

The reopened inquiry could have serious ramifications for officials questioned during the last public hearings if it is discovered they were not honest with their responses.

Days before the shutdown order was issued by Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, a Greater Dandenong City Council health officer says she found a slug on a kitchen floor at iCook.

The company says the slug was planted by the officer as part of a campaign to ruin it.

A police investigation into the slug allegations finished in March this year with no charges laid.

But Chief Commissioner Shane Patton ordered a review of the inquiry soon after and a fresh investigation has been established.

Mr Cook and his son Ben are suing DHHS and the council for $60 million.

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