I Cook Foods drops high-profile ‘slug gate’ legal case against Dandenong Council

I Cook Foods has dropped its high-profile “slug gate” case against Dandenong Council — but says it’s getting set to launch fresh legal proceedings.

I Cook Foods has dropped high-profile legal action against the Greater Dandenong City Council.

Central to the company’s case were allegations a health inspector planted a garden slug in the firm’s kitchen in an act of sabotage.

The council has issued a statement saying the matter had been abandoned after recent mediation between the business and the municipality.

I Cook founder Ian Cook was suing the Department of Health and Greater Dandenong Council for $50m. Picture: Alex Coppel

But the matter is not over, an I Cook spokesman said on Wednesday.

“ICF is about to immediately launch new proceedings against the Dandenong City Council on a new legal basis,” the spokesman said.

“The new case against council is malicious prosecution and it will be all about the slug.”

A key plank of the I Cook case was that a health inspector left a slug in the kitchen of the business in an act of sabotage.

The council issued a statement on Wednesday saying the abandonment of the case was a vindication.

A photo shows a slug found in the I Cook Foods facility in Dandenong that was sent to owners, alongside the oiginal photo (right) taken during a health inspection.

“The fact that the claims were dropped shows that there was no substance to any of the claims made against Council and its officers,” the statement said.

“Nothing was paid by council to I Cook Foods. Both I Cook Foods and Council have agreed to pay their own legal costs.”

I Cook founder Ian Cook had been suing the Department of Health and Greater Dandenong Council for $50m, arguing the closure of his business was unlawful.

The departmental action claimed chief health officer Brett Sutton had acted illegally in ordering the closure of the business after the death of a woman at Knox Private Hospital, where I Cook was a supplier.

I Cook’s action against the Department of Health remains active and is set to be before court next week.

Mr Cook unsuccessfully ran as an independent candidate in the state seat of Mulgrave at last year’s election.