Menu switch blamed for Eden Park oyster illnesses

Corporate guests who fell ill at the All Blacks-Ireland test at Eden Park were promised premium Clevedon oysters on the menu - but were instead eating Korean imports banned in Australia.

The caterer, Michael O'Brien Catering, has confirmed Korean oysters were served, but refused to comment further until the Auckland Regional Public Health Service report into the gastroenteritis outbreak was issued on Friday.

A menu obtained by the Herald found that the entree for the night was listed as "Aoraki salmon and Clevedon oysters on a fennel, orange and chervil salad, crispy potato cake, spinach dressing". Oyster shooters were also reportedly served.

Packaging on imported Korean oysters contains a warning that they have to be cooked. Oyster imports from Korea were temporarily suspended by the Food Safety Authority last week.

An ordering mix-up by the caterers is believed to have led to the mass poisoning after the test on June 17.

The incident has left the New Zealand oyster supplier fuming and considering legal action.

Clevedon Coast Oysters supplies its product to some of Auckland's top restaurants, and to Eden Park's exclusive caterer.

Clevedon Coast Oysters general manager Roly Rush said the poisoning had tainted not only the company's good name, but that of the wider oyster-growing industry.

Mr Rush said the caterers had chosen to mix the cheaper Korean imports with their product, but did not make the distinction clear.

"One of their chefs ordered the oysters through us and instead of ordering 200 dozen, he ordered 20 dozen."

The caterers rang on Saturday morning to rectify the mistake and were asked to pick them as the delivery driver did not work on Saturdays.

"They chose to go to another distributor that supplied oysters, and they bought these Korean ones."

Callum McCallum, Clevedon Coast's managing director and president of the Oyster Industry Association, said four norovirus outbreaks had been associated with Korean oysters in the past 12 months.

Australia banned imports of oysters from South Korea in October 2004.

The health service is still finalising its report, but has found the Hall of Legends hospitality area in Eden Park had the highest sickness rate of all four corporate areas affected.

Those who dined there and fell ill were 27 times more likely to have eaten raw oysters than people in other areas.

Tests by the Institute of Environmental and Scientific Research have found norovirus in raw imported Korean oysters from the same batches as those eaten at Eden Park, while local oysters tested negative.

Did you suffer after eating the oysters at Eden Park? Email the Herald Newsdesk