Laneway festival food truck illness complaints spark call for diners to come forward

A food truck operator at popular music festival Laneway is urging customers to come forward after social media complaints the retailer had caused them to fall sick.

Several festivalgoers reported they experienced symptoms of food poisoning after consuming fare from Sheppards NZ, an Auckland-based Tex-Mex vendor.

One woman said she had been unable to “do anything” the following day after experiencing “the worst” diarrhoea, with several other users sharing their own experiences of illness in the comments.

“I’ve had the worst cramping all day after eating their food”, someone wrote, while a third user said she had been “suffering” after eating the vendor’s chicken tacos and nachos.

View this post on Instagram

A spokesperson told the Herald Sheppards NZ encourages anyone who may have been affected to get in touch as they continue to investigate the incident.

The street food vendor said food safety is their “number one priority”.

“We take the utmost care in food safety and our trucks adhere to the strict health guidelines for events. We work with the premium food wholesalers, and our food is bought and cooked fresh daily.”

Laneway and the National Public Health Service have been approached for comment about the incident.

The food truck is also set to serve punters at Worship today, a drum ‘n’ bass festival that will bring music acts Sub Focus, Dimension and Culture Shock to Auckland Domain.

@madeleinemccarthyy

@Laneway Festival send your thoughts and prayers 🤞

♬ jelly belly - Carpe & sakuracloud

The annual Laneways event moved from Albert Park to Western Springs Stadium two years ago, introducing new logistical challenges for festival operators.

An estimated 40,000 people are thought to have attended this year’s festival to see headliner Chappell Roan and fellow artists Wolf Alice, ROLE MODEL and Geese.

Roan complimented New Zealand for making her feel “safe” and “calm” during her set, thanking the crowd for fostering a culture “that accepts and values queer people”.