Casa Lopez will not receive a citation from the health department for deer meat found in its freezer last week.
A citation from the Athens City-County Health Department will not be issued to the Mexican restaurant, 1017 E. State St., because the deer meat originally found in the freezer was gone when officials arrived, said Chuck Hammer, spokesman for the department.
The deer meat was a gift to an employee from a friend, Hammer said, adding that the employee was using the restaurant's freezer to store the meat.
Department regulations state that restaurant employees cannot store food at the restaurant for personal use, Hammer said. Meat stored at a restaurant must be labeled and properly packaged, he added.
These regulations were explained to restaurant employees, Hammer said.
Officials from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources District Four Division of Wildlife saw the deer meat in the freezer, said Mark Hemming, the district's manager.
The district could cite the restaurant based on the legality of hunting the deer, Hemming said.
The investigation is still pending.
Currently, Casa Lopez is facing two lawsuits stemming from Ohio University's Moms Weekend, April 30 and May 2, when 45 people reported cases of salmonella after eating at the restaurant.
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Marika Lee
