Namelaka confectionery on Holosha Vasylkivska Street in Kyiv has temporarily suspended operations after a mass deterioration of staff well-being. This is reported by the publication WAVE (RBC-Ukraine), citing the establishment's official Instagram page. According to the company, the first case of illness was recorded on August 29: one of the employees felt symptoms of food poisoning and went on sick leave. By September 1, four more team members reported feeling unwell, after which the establishment contacted the Pechersk sanitary-epidemiological service and received recommendations on further actions.
Timeline of the outbreak and the rising number of cases
On September 2, the laboratory carried out additional testing of workers, surfaces, and product samples. Initially, the clinical picture resembled a viral illness — among the four affected individuals, coughing was also observed as a symptom. However, by the evening of the same day, the number of employees with similar complaints had risen to 27. Following this, operations at the confectionery on Holosha Vasylkivska Street were fully halted: professional disinfection and cleaning were carried out in the premises, all products were disposed of, access to the establishment was restricted, and the team was placed in quarantine.
Laboratory results and confirmation of salmonella
In the evening of September 3, Namelaka received the test results for the first ten workers. Salmonella was laboratory-confirmed in two of them. It is important to note that at the time the data was published, only a portion of the affected staff — the first ten people — had been examined, so the overall picture for all 27 employees with symptoms was not yet complete at the time the material was closed. The company emphasized that, together with the laboratory, it is trying to establish the source of infection and promises to report the inspection results.
The situation with guests and the operation of the other location
The establishment also reported three guests with symptoms of intestinal infection. "We are currently aware of 3 guests with symptoms of intestinal infection. We are in contact with one of them, covering the cost of treatment and awaiting the test results," Namelaka stated, adding that it is trying to reach the remaining visitors and is ready to help those who may have been affected. Meanwhile, the chain's other location — Namelaka on Podil — was not closed: no cases of illness were recorded among the staff of that outlet, and its products, production, and team were additionally inspected. The Podil outlet continues to operate as usual.
What is known about the cause of infection
The cause of the pathogen's entry into the establishment on Holosha Vasylkivska Street has not yet been established. According to the company, water analysis revealed no problems, and the remaining investigations are ongoing. Thus, as of the current date — September 4, 2026 — the epidemiological investigation is not complete: two laboratory-confirmed cases of salmonellosis among staff have been verified, complaints from 27 employees and three guests have been recorded, and the source of infection and the full scale of the outbreak remain subjects of ongoing inspections.
