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Rag1

Executive Chef
Joined
Jun 24, 2007
Messages
3,022
Location
Berks Cty, Pa.
I just got my comp packet from a new, first time event local to me. In it they said the Board of Health would be inspecting me and to fill out some form that was supposed to be included, but wasn't.
My first though was where in the hell do they come off inspecting a competitor.
We are not vending or giving away (illegal in Pa) any food.
My feeling at this point is to tell them to get lost.
Anybody run into this crap before.
I am fast losing my desire for comps.
 
They rear their ugly heads in this part of the world too. Mostly at chili cookoffs it seems. Never seen one jacking with the bbq folks. They got ahold of us at Dallas one time. All they was interested in was bleach water..rinse water and soap. Had to cook under cover and have a table cloth on any food prep or serving tables. They also like fire extinguishers.

bigwheel
 
We have had this happen before it really doesn't faze me at all. I think most health inspectors are surprised by the standards most BBQ competitors have about their individual stations. It was not an issue at all.
 
I agree with Diva. I am always as fastidious about cleanliness. Better get used to the government "taking care of us!" Uh, yeah. I love the government! Nothing better than getting help from the old government......Who else is gonna protect us??? :shock:
 
I have seen this before some contest's require you to give the meat away to the public if they provide. They usually are just looking for some type of handwash station and make sure that you are keeping meat up to temp.
 
The point I'm making is that our comps are not within their jurisdiction.
Whether or not we comply should not matter. Giving them the ok to inspect is empowering another government outfit to run segments of our lives.
Last year I paid to attend a Food Server certification class where one of the instructors was the lead dork of this multi-county health department. He said that on a restaurant inspection 'HE' decided how many gigs, on a long list of items checked, he would tolerate before serving some punishment.
The state prints the guide lines on this and "HE" decided arbitrarily to reduce it to half to one quarter the infractions.
This kind of crap gets my shorts in a wad.
 
You have made good points.
It is tiresome when power is provided to those who have absolutely no right to enforce it.
We have minor league inspections at our comps here - nothing like what you are referring to, though.
I'm with you in so much as I do not agree with it 100%, however after hearing some horror stories about what was found during the minimalist inspections here, like mouldy wash basins, and incorrectly packaged raw meats, etc., I think it's in the best interest to continue some sort of inspection. After all, one would think that something as simple and straightforward as sanitizing wash basins prior to a competition would be commonplace.
 
The folk puttin on the comp should be the ones doin health an safety inspections, not the health dept.

Ifin I was puttin on a comp an carryin the insurance, I'd wanna be the one seein how thins was done. Just some common sense is all that be needed.
 
if a comp allows food to be distributed to the public, the health
police have every right to inspect it.

if it's just for judges, I guess it's ok to let a few of them get
poisoned. :shock:
 
The last time we got hassled on chili the lady health goon say as long as we was not selling it or giving it away free to the public everything was peachy. We had to promise not to give out any free samples.

bigwheel
 
Hillbilly said:
The folk puttin on the comp should be the ones doin health an safety inspections, not the health dept.

Ifin I was puttin on a comp an carryin the insurance, I'd wanna be the one seein how thins was done. Just some common sense is all that be needed.

You are right Hillbilly.
KCBS are the inspectors. If a judge gets sick, or is concerned with teams, he should hold KCBS's feet to the fire.
The promoter of the event I'm talking got back to me and said the health dept with drew their nose from the deal. Apparently they realized they were out of their area of responsibility.
 
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