BOZEMAN — It’s been nearly a year since the Gallatin City-County Health Department (GCCHHD) ordered Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman to close after toxins suspected of coming from morel mushrooms affected 50 people, leaving two dead.
The health department’s final investigation was released in July of 2023; it revealed that morel mushrooms served by the restaurant were not cooked properly. No other restaurant that had received morels from the same supplier reported complications from customers.
A year later, GCCHHD won’t answer questions relating to the outbreak at Dave’s.
But GCCHD does tell us there are five major risk factors that contribute to food-borne illnesses:
- Food coming from unsafe sources.
- Food not stored at safe temperatures.
- Under-cooked or raw food items.
- Contaminated environment and equipment
- Poor personal hygiene of handlers
Following Dave’s reopening in May of 2023, the health department appeared to keep a close eye on the establishment, visiting every few days to inspect and correct practices.
GCCHD says most violations don’t cause a restaurant to close and are often corrected on-site or soon after.
The health department last inspected Dave’s on December 20, 2023. Two violations were reported. Both were corrected on-site.
