Food vendors at area arenas defend quality

Vendors at Tropicana Field, Raymond James Stadium and the St. Pete Times Forum on Monday assured the public that workers at their facilities use safe food service practices despite an ESPN report that indicated state health inspectors found many flaws.

ESPN's "Outside the Lines" news show examined health inspection reports across the country for an episode titled "What's Lurking in Your Stadium Food," which first aired on Sunday morning.

The report found documents noting violations such as mold in ice machines at Miller Park in Milwaukee, a cockroach crawling on a soda dispenser at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, and workers repeatedly ignoring orders to wash their hands at a food stand at Detroit's Ford Field.

The show said it examined 2009 health department inspection reports for food and beverage outlets at 107 arenas and stadiums that were home to Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Hockey League and National Basketball Association teams.

At 30 of the venues, 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-related illnesses.

Health inspections vary widely across the country and use different criteria from state to state.

ESPN said all stadiums in Florida scored among the worst in the country.

At Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay Rays' stadium, ESPN said 100 percent of vendors were found to have committed critical violations. They included dirty countertops, utensils and equipment. All the vendors, however, met basic inspection standards to keep operating, ESPN noted. Connecticut-based Centerplate is the food and beverage vendor at the stadium.

At the St. Pete Times Forum, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning, 88 percent of vendors had critical health inspection violations. An inspector saw an employee handle dirty dishes, then put away clean dishes without washing hands or changing gloves, ESPN reported. The same location lacked soap at a hand sink.

Sportservice, a company owned by Delaware North Companies, is the Forum's vendor.

At Raymond James Stadium where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play, 84 percent of vendors were cited for critical violations, ESPN said. In one case, inspectors found chicken tenders not cooked to the required 165 degrees, the sports network reported.

Chicago-based Levy Restaurants is the operating vendor at the stadium.

Katie McLennan, Levy's communications director, said Monday the top priority of the stadium and Levy Restaurants is to ensure the health and safety of fans.

Levy has a stringent food safety and sanitation program and takes immediate action to correct any suggestions for improvement, she said. "We welcome the health department's regular visits as another set of eyes."

Bob Pascal, senior vice president of marketing for Tropicana Field's vendor Centerplate, said the company takes the topic of food safety seriously.

"Any deficiencies that are identified during the course of an inspection are corrected, usually immediately in the presence of the inspector," Pascal said by e-mail.

The Florida Department of Health has a rigorous and stringent approach to inspections, Pascal said.

It evaluates stadiums based on whether they have met standards for safe operation, which Tropicana Field has done in 100 percent of its inspection reports for 2009 and to date in 2010.

Bruce Ground, Sportservice's general manager at the St. Pete Times Forum, said Monday that its staff works closely with city health inspectors to immediately correct problems.