Spanish hotel gives defiant statement as grandad dies eating 'half-cooked' chicken
A luxury Fuerteventura hotel has broken its silence after a Brit tourist died from suspected food poisoning when he tucked into "half-cooked" chicken on holiday.
Bosses at the plush four-star Occidental Jandia Playa insist they follow "strict food hygiene and safety" rules and have hit back with a defiant statement after an inquest heard Leslie Green, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, caught deadly salmonella at the all-inclusive resort, reports the Mirror.
The hearing was told the 70-year-old dad ate undercooked chicken during his stay at Occidental Jandia Playa on Fuerteventura, one of Spain's Canary Islands last October. Days later he fell ill with severe diarrhoea and his condition quickly worsened.
Mr Green, a retired delivery driver, had only eaten at the hotel with his wife Julie, 60, during their trip. Rochdale Coroner's Court ruled he died from food poisoning caused by partially cooked chicken.
However, the Barceló Hotel Group, which runs the Occidental Jandia Playa, said yesterday no salmonella has been detected at the hotel in the last twelve months.
The spokesperson said: "We also hold certificates from the aforementioned external audit company confirming that no salmonella has been detected at the hotel in the last twelve months. These audits and controls reflect our ongoing commitment to the health and safety of guests."
The Barcelo Hotel Group, founded in Spain in 1981, said it "deeply regrets the death". Its statement in full reads: "The Barceló Hotel Group deeply regrets the death of a guest at our Fuerteventura hotel in November 2024.
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"On behalf of the entire group, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the guest's family and loved ones and reiterate our firm commitment to the safety and well-being of our customers.
"The Barceló Hotel Group has a strict food hygiene and safety protocol that includes rigorous internal controls and periodic external audits performed by an independent company renowned in food safety.
"This control system guarantees compliance with applicable regulations and our company's stringent quality standards. We also hold certificates from the aforementioned external audit company confirming that no salmonella has been detected at the hotel in the last twelve months. These audits and controls reflect our ongoing commitment to the health and safety of guests."
Mr and Mrs Green were on a Jet2 holiday when tragedy struck. Jet2 said it would be "inappropriate" to comment due to an ongoing legal claim, but offered its "thoughts and condolences" to the Green family.
Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Green, a retired nurse, said: "I still struggle to comprehend how we went on holiday, but Leslie didn't come home... He was my best friend and life without him will never be the same."
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