Customers Tested Positive For Drugs After Eating At Japanese Steakhouse

Japanese Chef Cooking Beef for Client teppanyaki style

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Authorities have launched an investigation after seven people were taken to the hospital after eating at Nikko Japanese Steak House in Pace, Florida, over the weekend.

Officials said that patrons all tested positive for a narcotic. The food they ingested also tested positive for the narcotic. All of the patrons have since been released from the hospitals.

While authorities did not specify what drug was found in the food, one of the customers claimed they ingested methamphetamine.

Investigators said they are still trying to determine how the drugs ended up in the food. So far, they have spoken to and cleared one employee.

"We did interview a suspect, but no arrests have been made," Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Jillian Durkin told the Pensacola News Journal.

The restaurant closed after the incident, but on Tuesday (June 13), the health department inspected the steakhouse and cleared it to reopen for lunch.

In a post on social media, the restaurant apologized for the incident and said it is fully cooperating with the investigation.

"From the moment we were informed of the incident, we closed the doors and cooperated fully with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office, the Health Department, and all inspectors who combed every inch of our restaurant and found us in complete compliance, with no violations. We will continue to cooperate with authorities to find out how this happened and how to ensure that it will not happen again."


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