MEAT+POULTRY - April 2015 - 8

C O M M E N TA R Y

The not-so-great outdoors
In the name of full disclosure: I have worked as a
foodservice grunt at almost every conceivable type of
venue and event imaginable. Yes, I've supervised and slung
more cocktails, flat beer and plastic flutes of champagne
from rodent-infested concession stands and open-air bars,
to more Dallas socialites attending outdoor events than
you could shake a Neiman Marcus credit card at. And
while I doubt if this still holds
true in 2015, tolerating a certain
number of cockroaches, some
occasional mouse droppings and
moldy food sightings back in the
early 1990s was often all in a day's
work in my former foodservice
life. It was part of a "Kitchen
Confidential"-like reality that
included working 80-hour weeks,
hosting special events in barns,
under tents, on patios and pool
side, often all at the same time.
When foodservice shifts outdoors,
balancing logistical reality and
customer expectations often
When dining
becomes a see-saw ride. Many
venues shift
factors must be considered when
outdoors, food
preparing, holding, transporting
safety shouldn't and serving food and beverages for
concession service, which includes
falter.
the ol' ball game. I learned this
the hard way and in hindsight,
keeping menus basic can help keep food and customers
safe in non-traditional, outdoor venues. Consumers have
come to expect the same quality, variety and food-safety
assurances regardless of venue and operators aren't
always ready to meet the challenge.
At press time, baseball fans across the country were
counting down the weeks until Major League Baseball's
Opening Day, complete with all the pageantry, sights,
sounds, aromas and tastes that are synonymous with the
national pastime at stadiums throughout the US and Canada.
In Kansas City, home of the American League Champion
Royals, March 17 marked 20 days until the hometown heroes
would defend their title at KC's Kauffman Stadium.

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MEAT+ POULTRY | 04.15 | www.meatpoultry.com

For Jon Costa, March 17 was the day he was notified
that he had been fired "for cause" from his position as a
food-safety manager of Kauffman Stadium and the Kansas
City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium. According to local media
reports that were picked up by ESPN, Costa was first
placed on administrative leave after going public with
information and photographic evidence of unacceptable
food-safety practices ranging from cockroaches in vending
areas to mouse feces on trays of pizza dough and more.
He first brought his concerns to the attention of
managers on-site, but was ignored, claiming he was not
empowered to act in a supervisory role and hadn't been
trained to reprimand those managers. Ultimately, Costa
went to the press just after the 2014 World Series, where
his concerns and photos got plenty of attention. The claims
also garnered the attention of city health inspectors, who
sited concession areas at the two stadiums with 37 critical
violations, including the presence of mold in ice machines,
excessive fruit flies and using dirty pans and trays.
The spotlight shined even brighter in mid-March when
Costa shared the letter he was sent by Aramark, stating a
number of reasons for his termination, including violation
of its media policy. The letter states Costa bucked
protocol with health inspectors and hampered Aramark's
relationship with the health department.
In a statement on the matter, Aramark defended its
track record at the two stadiums. The company claims
more than 17 million fans have been served at games and
events there since 2007 and never has an illness been
linked to its operations.
As plaintiffs and defendants prepare to square off over
an issue based on the safety of concession food, it has
purists like me waxing for the days when watching a ball
game kept fans engaged and peanuts and Cracker Jacks
were safe and satisfying enough.
J O E L C R E WS, E D I TO R | J C R E WS @ S OS L A N D.CO M
http://www.meatpoultry.com
MEAT+POULTRY - April 2015

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