ESPN- What's Lurking in your Stadium Food

[CR19]

You might want to give that hot dog another look before eating it.

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 foodborne illnesses that can make someone sick, or, in extreme cases, become fatal.

A decent piece of reporting by ESPN. Here's a link to the full report, although it's only for strong stomachs. For anyone living in Florida, you definitely want to give this a look.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=100725/stadiumconcessions

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

Pretty good stuff.

Interesting to see how a lot of venues in the same city or region (Pittsburgh for instance) have roughly the same batting average. Also in the case of Chicago, well that's Chicago for you.

 

[kingcreole]

Sun Life Stadium was disturbing. Slime in frozen alcholic drink machines? SLIME????

 

[dooley_womack1]

"Your popcorn has been pissed in. Film at 11."

 

[CR19]

Sun Life Stadium was disturbing. Slime in frozen alcholic drink machines? SLIME????

At least this will curb public drunkenness.

 

[Bob Cook]

The Indianapolis Star had a report awhile back saying that Lucas Oil Stadium had more violations by miles than anyone else serving food. The stadium blamed the large number of mice on the RCA Dome destruction and convention center construction stirring up mice, but you still have to get rid of them.

I wonder, too, how many violations are a result of untrained volunteers -- the booster clubs and the like that so often work concessions for charity -- not knowing how to keep things clean.

 

[Drip]

There's nothing new. Food goes through a nasty process and anyone who has worked in a fast food joint knows that. Stadium food is fast food. Nuff said.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Sun Life Stadium was disturbing. Slime in frozen alcholic drink machines? SLIME????

Somewhere Marvin Zindler is smiling.

 

[mustangj17]

The Indianapolis Star had a report awhile back saying that Lucas Oil Stadium had more violations by miles than anyone else serving food. The stadium blamed the large number of mice on the RCA Dome destruction and convention center construction stirring up mice, but you still have to get rid of them.

I wonder, too, how many violations are a result of untrained volunteers -- the booster clubs and the like that so often work concessions for charity -- not knowing how to keep things clean.

Or just a bunch of deadbeat workers in general. Have you seen some of the people working the concession stands?

Noticed every place in Canada got solid rankings. Every place in Florida was pretty poor.

 

[leo1]

most of this is much ado about nothing. if you live in a municipality where they post the health inspection reports online, every restaurant gets nailed for a few violations every time. and that includes the supposedly high class elite restaurants. if you want to make sure your food was handled perfectly, eat at home. is anyone shocked that fast food isn't handled perfectly? come on.

 

[Football_Bat]

Fetid tubes of flesh, etc.

 

[goalmouth]

I agree with lower-case leo. Stadium food? Heaven forbid ESPN should do any real investigating in sports. It's like newspapers and nursing home abuse -- it's always there on a slow day.

 

[Football_Bat]

Sun Life Stadium was disturbing. Slime in frozen alcholic drink machines? SLIME????

Somewhere Marvin Zindler is smiling.

Beat me to it.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Sun Life Stadium was disturbing. Slime in frozen alcholic drink machines? SLIME????

Somewhere Marvin Zindler is smiling.

Beat me to it.

SLIME IN THE ICE BOX!

 

[TimmyP]

most of this is much ado about nothing. if you live in a municipality where they post the health inspection reports online, every restaurant gets nailed for a few violations every time. and that includes the supposedly high class elite restaurants. if you want to make sure your food was handled perfectly, eat at home. is anyone shocked that fast food isn't handled perfectly? come on.

If you're eating a ballpark hot dog, I guarantee the worst thing about what you're eating is not what happened to it AFTER it made it to the ballpark.

The stadium could be clean to hospital specifications, but what was put inside that hot dog at the processing plant?

 

[Ace]

There's nothing new. Food goes through a nasty process ...

Yeah. That's called digestion.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

"Your popcorn has been pissed in. Film at 11."

Keep your pants on.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Fetid tubes of flesh, etc.

Fetid tubes of rotting animal flesh floating in a tub of malodorous swill.

 

[OnTheRiver]

A moment that comes to mind: (FF to 1:00)

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=156442&title=blernsball

 

[JR]

Well, at least Toronto was # 1 in something in sports.

The ACC has its own internal food inspection auditor who does random and unannounced visits to the various restaurants and concession stands.

Last thing MLSE needs is someone getting food poisoning from one of their restaurants.

And I disagree with those who say, "It's Stadium Food, what do you expect?" Well, I expect cooked food to be stored at the proper temperature, food servers handling the food properly and that there not be mouse **** in my popcorn. Not too much to ask.