Brown confirmed the state did conduct an inspection Oct. 4 at the restaurant. He said a complaint was filed after several people, probably four or five, got sick after eating food which had been prepared by Bitler’s for a catered wedding reception. The food was taken to Johnson County for the reception. However, he emphasized, only five out of more than 100 people who ate at the reception suffered from gastrointestinal distress. Brown said he had also heard that one of those people died due to complications.

“First of all, you would think that if there were something wrong with the food preparation, handling or original serving from the restaurant, more than that small percentage would have suffered,” Brown said.
He said the investigation following the complaint indicated the food causing the problem was consumed a day after the reception, and may not have been stored properly in between the serving and the second meal. “In our food safety investigation at Bitler’s, we found no evidence that there was a food-born illness there,” he concluded.

The names of those who file complaints about public safety with the KDHE are confidential, Brown said.