California State Fair: Health inspectors to ensure food safety at food stands

(FOX40.COM) — The California State Fair is officially underway , and residents from across the state can look forward to traditional fair activities like eating anything fried, enjoying a ride or two, and more importantly, doing it all while beating the heat.

But fairgoers can attend the fair even more comfortably knowing that Sacramento County health inspectors will be in attendance making sure that all 160 food stands are preparing their food while utilizing safe food practices.

Rolando Villareal, the environmental health division chief for Sacramento County, said, “Food vendors at the California State Fair face the same level of inspection as all other restaurants in Sacramento County…We want to ensure that they follow safe food handling practices and adhere to state health codes to keep their customers from getting sick.”

Health inspectors will conduct “unannounced inspections” to investigate food-related complaints while providing food safety education to vendors.

Inspectors will be looking to ensure that fresh food is prepared every day, as no food for next-day use is allowed to be sold at the fair, that healthy food temperature is maintained, that the source of food is approved, and that vendors follow proper handwashing procedures and proper sewage disposal.

The California State Fair began on Friday, July 12, and will run through July 28. In addition to its 160 food stands, the event became the first state fair in the country to allow the legal sale and consumption of marijuana.

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