ESPN checks eatery inspections at stadiums to find mold, slime
Take me out to the ballgame, but check the food-safety inspections first. Paula Lavigne of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” finds some vendors at sports stadiums aren’t passing food inspections. She writes:
“ESPN’s ‘Outside the Lines’ reviewed health department inspection reports for food and beverage outlets at all 107 North American arenas and stadiums that were home to Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Hockey League and National Basketball Association teams in 2009. At 30 of the venues (28 percent), more than half of the concession stands or restaurants had been cited for at least one ‘critical’ or ‘major’ health violation. Such violations pose a risk for food-borne illnesses that can make someone sick, or, in extreme cases, become fatal.”
The story also has an interactive map to show how stadiums in your area fared.
Today’s Tip: Check restaurant-inspection records.
Stadium and convention center vendors may not be storefront businesses, but they have to meet the same requirements, so don’t overlook them. If your city has a large convention business, track safety inspections to be sure businesses aren’t taking shortcuts.
With more products being pulled from shelves for fear of contamination, food-safety reporting is increasing. In fact, Michael Moss of The New York Times won a Pulitzer Prize this year for his piece about a woman’s life after eating a tainted burger.
The International Food Information Council Foundation has resources in its newsroom to keep track of food-borne illnesses. The Association of Health Care Journalists also has information for its members about covering food and health.
And here are tips from my fellow BusinessJournalism.org blogger, Melissa Preddy, on making sense of food recalls.
