Nearly a month after chef Carl Ruiz died, his cause of death has been confirmed.

The celebrity chef and Food Network personality, who often appeared as a judge on “Guy’s Grocery Games,” died of a what appeared to be a heart attack on Sept. 21 at the age of 44. A source from the Maryland Department of Health tells Fox News that Ruiz’s death was specifically caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: hardening of the arteries.

A representative for Food Network could not confirm reports of Ruiz’s cause of death.

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Following his passing in September, Ruiz’s friends in the culinary scene paid tribute to the late chef on social media.

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Fellow celebrity chef Guy Fieri, with whom Ruiz had teamed up with over the years, wrote he was “heartbroken” over the news.

“I have no words to describe what a great friend he was to me and my family,” Fieri tweeted. “His ability to make me laugh and smile under any circumstances was only outshined by his talent as a chef.”

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Earlier this year, Ruiz opened a restaurant in New York City’s Meatpacking District called La Cubana. The restaurant will honor Ruiz’s legacy with a Carl Ruiz Scholarship Foundation.

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Bradford Betz contributed to this report.