A salmonella outbreak at an Old Country Buffet in Maple Grove sickened 23 people, causing one diner to be hospitalized for about two weeks, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

The outbreak affected people who ate at the restaurant in late January, particularly on Jan. 25, said Doug Schultz, a health department spokesman. Sick diners were of a broad age range and one middle-aged diner was hospitalized.

The health department didn't give out further details. An investigation is ongoing.

In a statement, Old Country Buffet, a unit of South Carolina-based Ovation Brands, said it is working closely with the health department to determine the outbreak's cause. It said it is also bolstering food safety training.

"We have redoubled our inspection efforts to ensure the ongoing highest adherence to food safety, and have brought in our training department to retrain our entire staff at the location in question on food safety principles," the company's statement said.

Mike Hughlett • 612-673-7003