Thirteen cases of salmonella food poisoning have been traced back to chopped liver sold at the Oakwood Delicatessen, public health chiefs have confirmed.

The shop in Barmley Road, Oakwood, was closed last week by Enfield Council using emergency powers after the outbreak came to light.

A further four confirmed salmonella cases are being investigated in a bid to discover if they are linked to the store.

Meanwhile 109 of the 200 other reports of less serious food poisoning have been found to have connections with the shop.

The store also supplied a number of outlets across north London, Hertfordshire and Essex.

And Enfield Council issued a public appeal for information on where the food was being sold.

Environmental services director John Pryor is confident the outbreak has now been contained.

At a press conference this week he said: "All food supplied by the Oakwood Delicatessen has been taken away and is not for sale."

The head of the environmental health department dealing with commercial premises, Miranda Steward, said the council was carrying out a full investigation.

She said: "Now it has calmed down in terms of the reports of food poisoning we can concentrate on why it happened."

Proprietor Adonis Kashioulis had voluntarily closed the shop last Tuesday following early reports of food poisoning.

But Enfield Council stepped in to formally shut the premises the following day when the serious nature of the outbreak was uncovered.

Four days before salmonella was discovered council officers raised concerns about hygiene standards at Oakwood Delicatessen following a routine visit.

They had drawn up a report recommending a number of improvements and were due to follow up the matter with a further visit three weeks later.

Mr Pryor stressed that detailed laboratory tests need to be carried out to discover salmonella bacteria and officers would not have been able to detect it during the inspection.

The authority was alerted to the case by Redbridge Council in east London following reports of food poisoning in that area.

A number of people had suffered diarrhoea and vomiting after eating food later found to have been supplied by Oakwood Delicatessen.

Enfield Council set up an emergency hotline over the weekend and lines were swamped with calls from people who suspected they had eaten food supplied by the shop.

Derwent Jaconelli from Chigwell in Essex was one of the first to report the outbreak after his wife Lisa contracted salmonella.

She was taken to Whipps Cross hospital in east London on September 28 after feeling sick and feverish.

The 28-year-old was later transferred to a private hospital in Essex where doctors confirmed salmonella.

She was kept in for treatment for a week before being sent home where she continues to make a good recovery.

Mr Jaconelli said: "She was told by the hospital that if our children or their grandparents had caught it it was quite probable they wouldn't have survived."

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He contacted his local Redbridge Council which traced the Salmonella to chopped liver eatmne by his wife which was bought from a shop in Gants Hill, Essex.

Further investigation led officers to believe it had come from Oakwood Delicatessen and they contacted counterparts at Enfield.

Ennfeild Council is now investigating whether Salmonella contamination happened at Oakwood Delicatessen or before food reached the shop from other suppliers.

in any event it will not be allowed to re-open until the authority was satisfied strict hygiene measures had been put in place.

A prosecution under food safety laws has also not been ruled out.

Anyone with concerns about food poisoning should contact Enfield Council on 0181 379 3713

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