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Botulism outbreak puts gas stations on alert

In California, a trip to the gas station turned deadly for one man and put nine others in the hospital, all from a snack of nacho cheese at a gas station.

You’re hungry and in a hurry, so you stop at a gas station for some warm food.

It’s probably dicey, but you may have never imagined it could be deadly.

In California, a trip to the gas station turned deadly for one man and put nine others in the hospital, all from a snack of nacho cheese at a gas station.

The cheese was contaminated with a rare bacteria called botulism.

"Luckily, it's not very common but when it does occur, it can be very tragic,” Rick Melendez from the Department of Health, said.

Just two years ago, a similar incident happened in Columbus, Ohio at a church potluck.

Some gas station owners said they keep their business clean for many reason, a clear conscience to start.

"For somebody to come here and die out of my investment, that makes me sad for the rest of my life,” Scott Kollab, Sunoco owner, said.

Kollab owns a handful of Sunoco gas stations and said he holds his stores to strict guidelines.

"We have a lot of rules and regulations, lot of lists,” Kollab said. “If they see something that doesn't look good, they have to remove it right away."

Apart from appearance, Kollab said he wants customers to take the same pride he has in his food.

"I look at everything,” Kollab said. “I want to make sure that the food is in good code, health code and everything else."

Cuyahoga County wants to make sure of that, too.

At least twice a year, they inspect gas stations like Kollab’s that have prepared foods, but they encourage customers to inspect as well.

"Make sure the place looks clean,” Melendez said. “Make sure the employees, if they are preparing food in front of you, they look clean, have clean clothing, their hands are clean and they're using gloves for ready to eat food."

"That's how we build a reputation,” Kollab said. “If you give them bad food, they're not going to come back to you.”

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