Latest news with #RonSimon
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Over 60 customers sue San Diego Mediterranean restaurant over salmonella outbreak
Over 60 customers sue San Diego Mediterranean restaurant over salmonella outbreak The Aladdin Mediterranean Café location temporarily closed while San Diego County health officials investigated, but it reopened on May 13. Show Caption Hide Caption Food safety tips and tools for cooking at home Time and temperature are the most important factors to keep in mind when it comes to food safety. Problem Solved More than 60 people are suing a Mediterranean restaurant in San Diego for allegedly causing a recent salmonella outbreak. The Aladdin Mediterranean Café voluntarily closed as San Diego County health officials investigated following accusations that multiple customers became ill with salmonella poisoning after eating "specific food items," according to the three lawsuits obtained by USA TODAY. The restaurant reopened on May 13, the court document says. Ron Simon, a food safety attorney, told USA TODAY on May 21 that he and his firm represent 65 victims in the outbreak, including 10 who were hospitalized. The suing customers said they went to Aladdin Mediterranean Café on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard between April 25 and May 1, the lawsuits allege. In a May 14 news release, Simon said two of the people he's representing ate hummus, chicken shawarma and beef shawarma wraps at the restaurant on April 26, and by the next day, "both had become ill with the with the symptoms of salmonellosis, including diarrhea, cramping, fever, chills, abdominal pain, and headaches." According to the lawsuit, at least 89 people who said they dined at Aladdin Mediterranean Café on April 25 and May 1 have become ill with symptoms of salmonella poisoning. So far, up to a dozen of the reporting customers have been hospitalized, the court document says. Aladdin Café says salmonella source could not be determined In a statement shared May 12 on its Facebook, the restaurant acknowledged the closure and the health officials' investigation, but said the source of the outbreak could not be determined. "We want to emphasize that our customers' health and safety is our number one priority," the statement reads. "In the past 32 years that we have been in business, we have always maintained an A grade from the health department. We take cleanliness very seriously and understand the responsibility that comes with preparing and serving food to our community." USA TODAY contacted Aladdin Mediterranean Café on May 21 but has not received a response. What did San Diego County health officials find at Aladdin Café? According to the lawsuits, San Diego County health officials conducted thorough inspections at the then-closed Aladdin Mediterranean Café and collected food samples and interviewed staff members. So far, the exact source of the contamination has yet to be identified, the lawsuit says. Aladdin Café has accrued as many as seven health code violations for failing to properly control holding temperatures for its food in recent years, the lawsuit states. At this moment, health officials urge anyone who dined at Aladdin Café between April 25 and May 1 and is experiencing salmonellosis to seek medical attention immediately. "We intend to use all the tools available to us in this litigation to get full and fair compensation for all of our clients, to find out how this outbreak happened, and to make sure that Aladdin keeps it from happening again," Simon said in a statement. This litigation does not accuse the Aladdin Hillcrest on Vermont Street of wrongdoing, as a different owner operates it. What are the symptoms of salmonella poisoning? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of salmonella infection include:
Newsweek
20-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
California Restaurant Owner 'Very Sorry' After 98 People Get Sick
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The owner of a San Diego café issued a public apology after at least 98 people got sick, including nine who were hospitalized, according to local reports. More than 90 confirmed and probable cases of salmonella were identified by county health officials. All had dined at Aladdin Café, also known as Aladdin Mediterranean Café, in the Clairemont area. Newsweek has contacted Aladdin Cafe and Ron Simon, the lawyer representing the victims suing the restaurant, out of regular working hours via email for comment. Why It Matters Salmonella infections can be serious, especially for vulnerable populations, and can result in hospitalizations and long-term effects. The legal filings and the number of affected consumers have placed renewed scrutiny on food handling practices and local enforcement in the U.S. food industry. The Aladdin Cafe in San Diego. The Aladdin Cafe in San Diego. Aladdin Cafe What To Know Multiple legal actions have been filed, including lawsuits on behalf of two individuals and a representation for more than 50 other alleged victims. These legal actions allege negligence in food preparation and failure to adhere to public health standards at Aladdin Café. The café's owner said he was "very sorry" if the restaurant was involved "directly or indirectly," which occurred between April 25 and May 1, 2025. After voluntarily shutting on May 1, the restaurant has since reopened as of May 12, according to the outlet SFGATE. Officials from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency confirmed that nine people were hospitalized as a result of the outbreak, and that victims were aged between 1 and 90. The health department began investigating the outbreak after receiving multiple illness reports linked to the café, and worked with the establishment to identify the source and mitigate further risk. The source of the Salmonella outbreak has not yet been identified, according to San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency reports. Public health officials advised anyone who dined at Aladdin Café within the affected time frame and developed symptoms to seek medical attention and to report their illness to county authorities. What People Are Saying Ron Simon, managing partner at Ron Simon & Associates, the law firm representing the victims suing Aladdin Mediterranean Café, said in a statement, according to FOX 5: "We intend to use all the tools available to us in this litigation to get full and fair compensation for all of our clients, to find out how this outbreak happened, and to make sure that Aladdin keeps it from happening again." Aladdin Cafe owner Hamdi Abukhalaf said to reporters on May 15: "I want to say to people, 'Please don't rush into judgment. We feel very bad for the people that got sick. We are very sorry if we are involved in this directly or indirectly.' However, I want people to be fair. We are humans. We have been in this business for 32 years. We have maintained high quality and the top cleanliness procedures." Charles McLaughlin, a victim, said to ABC 10: "I got a fever, sweating through shirts, I had to put a towel on my bed. Constantly changing that out. A splitting headache." Nubia Munguia, another victim, said to ABC 10: "From throwing up, to nausea, and diarrhea. I felt so ill. I went to the emergency room, and they admitted me right away because of how dangerous my blood pressure was. I felt like I was dying." San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency said in a statement: "Salmonella causes an infection called Salmonellosis. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea that might have blood or mucous, abdominal cramps and fever. Symptoms generally begin 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Illness from salmonella can last 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment." It added: "People who dined at Aladdin Mediterranean Café between April 25 and May 1, 2025 and feel ill with any of the symptoms listed should contact a health care provider as needed. People who are still ill or have recovered after dining at Aladdin Mediterranean Café can report their illness to DEHQ by calling (858) 505-6814 or through this form if on a desktop or laptop device and by emailing it to fhdepi@ What Happens Next The San Diego County Health Department is expected to provide further updates as the investigation concludes.
Malaysian Reserve
08-05-2025
- Health
- Malaysian Reserve
Second Salmonella Lawsuit Filed Against Aladdin Mediterranean Café by Ron Simon & Associates as the Number of Outbreak Victims Grows
SAN DIEGO, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today the national food poisoning law firm of Ron Simon & Associates, along with The Gomez Trial Attorneys, filed a second Aladdin Mediterranean Café Salmonella Lawsuit in San Diego County, California. The firm now represents more than 20 victims in this outbreak as the number of reported victims has increased to more than two dozen, with as many as 14 being hospitalized. A copy of the lawsuit is available upon request. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Joseph Jarvis, who consumed a Mezza Platter with lamb, beef and chicken from Aladdin Mediterranean Café on April 26th. By the next day, he was ill with the symptoms of salmonella poisoning, including the onset of bloody vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dehydration. He was taken to UC San Diego Health Emergency Department and immediately admitted to the hospital, where he remained for several days before being discharged home. He is still recovering from his illness. The lawsuit comes as San Diego County health officials and others report a growing number of victims, all having eaten at Aladdin Mediterranean Café. As of now, most confirmed victims are believed to have eaten on either April 25th or 26th of this year, but many victims calling the national food poisoning law firm of Ron Simon & Associates are also reporting food consumption on April 27th and 28th. According to Ron Simon, 'We anticipate a many more victims will come forward now that this outbreak has been reported in the local media. Our office has been receiving numerous phone calls from families, many of whom have been long-time customers of Aladdin. We will make sure each and every one our clients receives full and fair compensation for their injuries and suffering, and that Aladdin makes the necessary changes to make their food safe.' Food Safety Attorneys Establish Aladdin Mediterranean Café Farms Salmonella Claim Center Mr. Simon and his law firm have established an Aladdin Mediterranean Café/Salmonella Claim Center to assist victims in the outbreak. The Salmonella Claim Center can be reached toll-free at 1-888-335-4901 or by going to the firm's website, at About Food Safety Attorney Ron Simon Over the last 32 years, Ron Simon and his colleagues have prosecuted thousands of food poisoning cases for victims across the United States. His work has resulted in numerous upgrades to food safety procedures in Fortune 500 companies and in legislation designed to protect consumers from dangerous food-borne pathogens. Mr. Simon and his team have represented thousands of salmonella victims all across the United States, many of whom reside in San Diego and southern California. The firm served as lead counsel on two recent major San Diego outbreaks – the 2023 Miguel's Cocina outbreak and the 2019 San Diego County Fair outbreak. Mr. Simon and his clients have been featured on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and virtually all other major television networks and print media. Mr. Simon and his legal team have collected over $850,000,000 for their clients. His firm regularly publishes articles about food safety and litigation at which are read by viewers in over 180 countries. Through litigation, media commentary, and his food poisoning publications, Mr. Simon relentlessly challenges food manufacturers, distributors, and restaurants to do a better job in making our food safe. For media inquiries or more information on the Salmonella outbreak and ongoing litigation, please contact Ron Simon directly at (713) 819-8116 or ron@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Ron Simon & Associates
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How providing care, safety and support to South Florida's children became my calling
In 1992, Broward physician Ron Simon proposed to me the idea of a foster care nonprofit dedicated to serving Jewish children. I wasn't in favor of it. I was a social worker, and I didn't want to single out a specific ethnic or religious population for foster care services. Every community needs them, after all; why target one? Now as I prepare to retire after more than 30 years in the role, I can say that leading Broward's Jewish Adoption & Family Care Options (JAFCOJAFCO) turned out to be one of the most rewarding and meaningful experience of my life. Back then, Simon, our founder and president, won me over with the truth: some communities' needs are more visible than others. Populations that emphasize family values, including Jewish, Latino, and Indian Americans, didn't feel a need for the foster care system because they didn't recognize the child abuse in their communities. I don't understand this sentence Florida's then state-run foster care system was stressed. It prioritized immediate placement over all other factors, which sometimes resulted in children being placed in cultural and religious environments that were different than their birth family. When a child is abused and removed from their family, they lose everything in one moment — their family, their house, their pet, their school, their friends. One of the few things we can salvage is the traditions that form part of their identity. Maintaining that element of connection helps the healing process and supports family reunification, which is the goal of every foster care case. Acting on that idea, Simon created a new agency called the Cultural Foster Care Program of Broward County, which recruited foster parents from underrepresented cultural backgrounds. The Broward Board of Rabbis passed a resolution asking us to serve the Jewish community, and we started training Jewish families. The system didn't track data on children's religious background back then, but we had to start somewhere. Simon and his wife, Deni, reviewed Broward's foster care files and found about 20 children with Jewish-sounding names, and we went from there. We changed the name of our agency to Jewish Adoption & Foster Care Options (JAFCO), and applied to become a licensed foster care and adoption agency. Simon offered me the director position, but I initially turned him down. I had just had a baby, and I didn't think I was qualified anyway as a 30-year-old social worker, so I joined the search committee instead. It quickly became clear that no one else had expertise placing Jewish foster children with Jewish families. JAFCO was the first private organization of its kind, so no one else was qualified. I took the job — and found my calling. We've grown from a staff of one to a staff of 200, from an annual budget of $50,000 to one of $20 million, and from serving 20 children in our first year to serving more than 3,000 yearly. Beyond offering foster care and adoption services at our Children's Village in Sunrise, JAFCO now helps children with developmental disabilities and their families at our nearby Children's Ability Center, as well as those affected by the trauma of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Senior High shooting at Eagles' Haven in Parkland. We even offer support to families in crisis outside South Florida at our FamilyMatters center in Philadelphia. I am enormously proud of the human touch that characterizes all our services. Real people answer all our phones, emergency cases are seen same-day, and we have never and will never charge for our services. We have never closed a program, and we've never laid off a staff member due to funding. Our clinical team of experts in childcare, mental health and family services inspires me every day. They have devoted their lives to breaking the cycle of abuse and ensuring that every child in our care knows that they are loved. I consider myself extremely lucky to have worked with them; their skill is matched only by their passion. There's a quote on the wall of Eagles' Haven: '8 Days a Week.' It reflects our commitment to being constantly available, providing all our services even more than 24/7. None of that would've been possible without the support of the South Florida community. Whether you've donated to us, volunteered with us, referred someone to us, or even just talked about us with your circle, thank you. You're all a part of the JAFCO family, and your continued generosity helps improve thousands of lives every year. The gravity of our mission made deciding to retire difficult. I did it confidently, though, because I know our incredible staff and our incoming CEO, Robby Etzkin, are as moved by our mission as I am. I can't wait to watch how JAFCO continues to grow over the next 30 years and beyond. With the help of our communal family, we will continue to provide care, safety and support to children and their families, giving every child a place to belong. Sarah Franco is the outgoing CEO of Jewish Adoption & Family Care Options (JAFCO), a non-profit organization established in 1992 to provide services to at-risk children and families in South Florida.
Miami Herald
11-02-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
How providing care, safety and support to South Florida's children became my calling
In 1992, Broward physician Ron Simon proposed to me the idea of a foster care nonprofit dedicated to serving Jewish children. I wasn't in favor of it. I was a social worker, and I didn't want to single out a specific ethnic or religious population for foster care services. Every community needs them, after all; why target one? Now as I prepare to retire after more than 30 years in the role, I can say that leading Broward's Jewish Adoption & Family Care Options (JAFCOJAFCO) turned out to be one of the most rewarding and meaningful experience of my life. Back then, Simon, our founder and president, won me over with the truth: some communities' needs are more visible than others. Populations that emphasize family values, including Jewish, Latino, and Indian Americans, didn't feel a need for the foster care system because they didn't recognize the child abuse in their communities. I don't understand this sentence Florida's then state-run foster care system was stressed. It prioritized immediate placement over all other factors, which sometimes resulted in children being placed in cultural and religious environments that were different than their birth family. When a child is abused and removed from their family, they lose everything in one moment — their family, their house, their pet, their school, their friends. One of the few things we can salvage is the traditions that form part of their identity. Maintaining that element of connection helps the healing process and supports family reunification, which is the goal of every foster care case. Acting on that idea, Simon created a new agency called the Cultural Foster Care Program of Broward County, which recruited foster parents from underrepresented cultural backgrounds. The Broward Board of Rabbis passed a resolution asking us to serve the Jewish community, and we started training Jewish families. The system didn't track data on children's religious background back then, but we had to start somewhere. Simon and his wife, Deni, reviewed Broward's foster care files and found about 20 children with Jewish-sounding names, and we went from there. We changed the name of our agency to Jewish Adoption & Foster Care Options (JAFCO), and applied to become a licensed foster care and adoption agency. Simon offered me the director position, but I initially turned him down. I had just had a baby, and I didn't think I was qualified anyway as a 30-year-old social worker, so I joined the search committee instead. It quickly became clear that no one else had expertise placing Jewish foster children with Jewish families. JAFCO was the first private organization of its kind, so no one else was qualified. I took the job — and found my calling. We've grown from a staff of one to a staff of 200, from an annual budget of $50,000 to one of $20 million, and from serving 20 children in our first year to serving more than 3,000 yearly. Beyond offering foster care and adoption services at our Children's Village in Sunrise, JAFCO now helps children with developmental disabilities and their families at our nearby Children's Ability Center, as well as those affected by the trauma of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Senior High shooting at Eagles' Haven in Parkland. We even offer support to families in crisis outside South Florida at our FamilyMatters center in Philadelphia. I am enormously proud of the human touch that characterizes all our services. Real people answer all our phones, emergency cases are seen same-day, and we have never and will never charge for our services. We have never closed a program, and we've never laid off a staff member due to funding. Our clinical team of experts in childcare, mental health and family services inspires me every day. They have devoted their lives to breaking the cycle of abuse and ensuring that every child in our care knows that they are loved. I consider myself extremely lucky to have worked with them; their skill is matched only by their passion. There's a quote on the wall of Eagles' Haven: '8 Days a Week.' It reflects our commitment to being constantly available, providing all our services even more than 24/7. None of that would've been possible without the support of the South Florida community. Whether you've donated to us, volunteered with us, referred someone to us, or even just talked about us with your circle, thank you. You're all a part of the JAFCO family, and your continued generosity helps improve thousands of lives every year. The gravity of our mission made deciding to retire difficult. I did it confidently, though, because I know our incredible staff and our incoming CEO, Robby Etzkin, are as moved by our mission as I am. I can't wait to watch how JAFCO continues to grow over the next 30 years and beyond. With the help of our communal family, we will continue to provide care, safety and support to children and their families, giving every child a place to belong. Sarah Franco is the outgoing CEO of Jewish Adoption & Family Care Options (JAFCO), a non-profit organization established in 1992 to provide services to at-risk children and families in South Florida.
