In October 2012, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the City of St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections staff investigated an outbreak of suspected bacterial intoxication among attendees at a conference at an event center. The conference was held October 16 and October 17. Food at the conference was supplied by a caterer.

Forty-five conference attendees were interviewed. Twelve attendees met the case definition. The median incubation period from the lunch meal on October 16 was 6.25 hours (range 3.0 to 11.5 hours). No one was hospitalized and no one died. No food item was significantly associated with illness.

During the environmental assessment, the caterer's managers reported they took cook temperatures and checked the temperatures of the electric hot boxes where foods were being held. However, the establishment did not maintain temperature logs to verify that adequate food temperatures were met and maintained. In addition, sanitarians found that a thermocouple used to measure temperatures was broken.

Investigators concluded that based on distribution of incubations and symptoms, the etiologic agent was most likely a bacterial toxin.