Commotion in Spain: 18 poisoned and one dead after tasting a menu of 130 euros in a Michelin starred restaurant

María Jesús Fernández Calvo, 46 ​​years old Spanish optician, lived a happy life in Valencia and could afford certain tastes on special occasions. For this reason, she decided that for her husband's 44th birthday, they would both go to dinner with their 12 year old son in one of the most respected and exclusive places in the city: Riff.

The restaurant of the German chef Bernd H. Knöller, who has been living in Valencia for 25 years, is famous for his quality and boldness by experimenting with flavors, colors and smells. This is not a coincidence, he received a Michelin Star, the distinction the most prestigious gastronomic world.

The family sat for lunch in the Riff Lounge last Saturday, February 17th. They decided to ask the mtasting, which is prepared daily according to the best goods available on the market and which, as defined by the restaurant's website, "reflects very well our idea of ​​Mediterranean cuisine without being excessively abundant".

The menu consists of 7 stages and is accompanied by oil with olive oil and sourdough wheat bread. All for 85 euros (96 dollars) which are stretched to 130 (USD 146) If you want to accompany the dishes with 6 glbades of different wines.

Knöller personally takes care of each table, explaining each dish and taking orders.

María Jesús and her family spent a pleasant evening tasting the best flavors of the Spanish coast. But already back home, the problems started.

The three family members started with vomiting and diarrhea. The father and son managed to overcome what appeared to be minor intoxication, but Maria's image deteriorated quickly. Already at dawn on Sunday he had a heart attack and when the emergency service ambulance arrived home, the doctors could no longer revive her. The woman was dead.

Health authorities immediately opened an investigation. They interviewed 48 people who ate at the Riff between 13 and 16 February and 18 of them reported suffering from diarrhea and vomiting in the next 24 hours, informed the Minister of Health of Valencia, Ana Barceló.

All suspicions point to the morel, very exclusive mushroom that accompanies rice in one of the dishes but must be carefully cooked for its characteristics. It is about nail deli that it contains toxic substances call "hemolysin"So, they should not be eaten raw." These toxins disappear with heat. Once dried and completely dehydrated, they can be reused.

"Therefore, to cook them, you must rehydrate them with water or milk and, once the process is complete, discard the remaining liquid.The other option to consume them with the guarantee is that They are subject to a burning process, so that the toxic substances disappear, "says the portal L & # 39; Spanish.

The restaurant is closed to the public from Sunday. Knöller has issued a statement in which he expresses his "pain" for what happened and claims to be available for investigations that determine the causes "of gastric affections" that have affected his clients and that he hopes " resume the activity with all the guarantees ". for the staff as for all the customers. "