Summit Chef Rejects Laura Bush’s Poison Conspiracy Theory

The Heiligendamm kitchen was closely scrutinized: Toxicologists found nothing.

One of Heiligendamm’s top chefs has rejected former First Lady Laura Bush’s poisoning theory. There were no indications of poisoning during the 2007 summit meeting, Chef Steffen Duckhorn told the newsmagazine “Der Spiegel” in an earlier interview. Toxicologists were present at all times in the kitchen and collected samples of all food prepared for the dinner. According to the 34-year-old chef, samples were taken before, during and after all food was prepared.

According to media reports, Laura Bush theorized that poisoning was the cause of a sudden bout of illness during the G-8 summit in Germany. Chef Duckhorn disagreed, saying the toxicology tests were carried out on the spot in a small laboratory. There was never the slightest proof to support such an allegation.

Besides that, while the culinary team prepared meals for the president, other heads of state and their wives, it did not cook for the rest of the delegation. Duckhorn told “Der Spiegel” that the Americans had brought their own food with them.

The former First Lady wrote in her book that, one afternoon, she suddenly began to feel miserable and that other members of the delegation had the same complaint. Duckhorn, on the other hand, is quoted as saying he and his head chef had reconstructed every facet of their work at the summit: “Every chef has his honor,” he said of the incident.

The menu, as it is at every official state dinner, had been cleared with the German Foreign Office. The ingredients used all came from local sources and the caterers, along with all kitchen personnel, had been cleared in advance. If there was any poison involved at all, “then we would have been the first to drop,” Duckhorn said. “We do taste our things.”

According to “Der Spiegel,” the BKA (Germany’s Federal Criminal Police agency), the U.S. Embassy, the German Foreign Office and Chancellor Merkel’s office all say they are unaware of any charges being filed in connection with an alleged poisoning incident.