Food Safety at Pro Stadiums Questioned by ESPN Report
An ESPN review of stadium food at all 107 North American arenas for major league baseball, football, hockey and basketball found a high number of serious health violations.
The sports network's check of 2009 food safety records found 30 stadiums where 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.''
One of the worst venues for reported trouble was Tropicana Field in Florida -- home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. ESPN reported that every one of the stadium's 47 food and drink outlets inspected incurred a critical violation within the previous year. Violations included food residue in a cooler, toxic chemicals stored too close to food preparation areas, "slime" in the ice machines and thermometers not readily visible to measure the temperature of hot foods.
Other venues with low marks for food safety were stadiums that house the Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins and the Washington Wizards and Capitals.
Among the best were venues for: the Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New England Patriots and New York Islanders.
Among the more startling reports:
- Green Bay Packers' Lambeau Field: Two locations were cited after an employee "did not wash hands after blowing nose or eating food prior to handling customer food or ice."
- Phoenix Suns' US Airways Center: Dozens of flies and a live roach in a dish room.
- Denver Broncos' Mile High Stadium: Fruit flies in whiskey bottles at three bars.
- Miami Dolphins' Sun Life Stadium: Employee reported small insects and other debris blended into frozen alcoholic drinks.
