Cracker Barrel near Kalamazoo closing because of salmonella

A Cracker Barrel restaurant in southwestern Michigan will not reopen after a problem with salmonella.

The Kalamazoo County health department says it was told about the closing last week. The agency says private tests revealed significant contamination at the Kalamazoo-area restaurant. Results from state tests are expected this week.

The restaurant had reopened after closing in June due to health-code violations. Cracker Barrel, which is based in Lebanon, Tennessee, says the salmonella was not related to the food supply. But the chain says the restaurant has closed because it wasn’t confident that it could “prevent a reoccurrence.”

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause fever, diarrhea and stomach pain.

The health department says food will be thrown out, and equipment won’t be used elsewhere until cleaned and tested.  (AP)