A Michelin-starred chef has been sentenced to almost three months in prison after serving raw clams infected with norovirus to more than 50 guests at a wedding banquet. Marco Sacco, 59, who runs the Piccolo Lago di Verbania restaurant near Lake Maggiore, served up a borage risotto topped with the raw clams to guests at a wedding in 2021. Attendees quickly complained of nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pains. Some said they also checked themselves into hospital.
The Verbania court ruled that he and the restaurant manager Raffaella Marchetti were guilty of culpable negligence and trading harmful foodstuffs. Nicknamed "the freshwater chef", Sacco was handed a prison sentence totaling two months and 20 days. The pair have been ordered to pay €20,000 in damages as well as €8,000 to the wedded couple, and a further €250 each to the 53 guests