ZMCHD Ensuring Safe Bites at the Fair

ZANESVILLE, OH – The Muskingum County Fair is in full swing, and while fair goers are busy enjoying everything from French fries to funnel cakes, the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department is behind the scenes, ensuring that every delicious bite is safe to eat.

Sanitarians from the health department are making their way from booth to booth, conducting thorough inspections of each food vendor.

“It’s very important that we check these critical control points to avoid any food born illness. At an event like this, there’s just so much food that people are eating, and this is a really great way to make sure that we are keeping that health and safety in check,” Samantha Wantz, a Registered Environmental Health Specialist at the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department said.

Their inspections focus on key safety areas, including checking for any critical violations, verifying proper food temperatures, preventing cross-contaminations, and ensuring that hand-washing protocols are followed.

“First, we come in and we will check their license. Then we will check their temperatures of any coolers, any ready to eat food, any food that’s cooking. We just want to make sure that all of those temperatures are accurate and in the range of for safety,” Wantz said.

The Health Department does about 100 inspections throughout the week, so fair goers can indulge in all the tasty treats the fair has to offer.