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Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
County health officials are raising questions about legislation that exempts non-profit groups from food inspections by local health departments.
Missy Shelton reports.
When most non-profit groups hold fundraisers involving food, public health officials inspect the facilities, food handling procedures and serving methods to make sure consumers are safe.
Earlier this month, more than five thousand people filled the University Plaza Trade Center in Springfield for the Seratoma Club's Chili Cook-Off.
The event, which is put on by a non-profit group, brought out inspectors from the county health department to make sure food was safe.
But legislation up for consideration in the Missouri House would change that...It would exempt religious, charitable and non-profit groups from food inspections.
The head of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department Harold Bensgch says public health oversight is needed at events like the chili cook-off where thousands of people are eating regardless of who is sponsoring the event.
That same concern drove Representative Barbara Fraser to vote against the bill when it came before a House committee recently.
Taking care of people is something one health department took too far, according to State Representative Randall Relford.
He's sponsoring the bill that exempts non-profits from food insepctions.
The lawmaker says he filed the bill in response to the actions of some health inspectors in his Northwest Missouri district...He says they went too far in regulating small potluck dinners at rural churches.
In an effort to compromise, Relford added a provision to his bill that would require non-profit organizations to post signs warning that the local health deaprtment is not regulating the event.
But that doesn't allay the concerns of Harold Bensgch or Barbara Fraser.
Bensgh says people may not understand how risky it can be to eat food at an event where there are no food inspectors.
Fraser says Relford is over reacting to an isolated incident in his district where some local health officials went too far.
The food inspection legislation has cleared a House committee.
It faces debate on the House floor.
Harold Benscgh has sent a letter to some lawmakers expressing his concerns that the bill puts thousands of people at risk of consuming food-borne bacteria.
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