Minneapolis food inspectors are working more overtime this year as they scramble to increase oversight of vendors at hundreds of festivals on top of July's MLB All-Star Game events.
The Health Department's 16 food inspectors hope to reach all of the approximately 1,000 food vendors who set up shop at events throughout the year. Last year they inspected only about 25 percent. They will also need to do extra work to ensure food safety during the All-Star Game events.
In addition to overtime, the department plans to hire a temporary staffer to help review plans for the new Vikings stadium and many new restaurants opening across the city.
The vendors, which do not include food trucks, are a priority following the 2013 salmonella outbreak at an Ecuadorean Independence Day which sickened 119 people, the second-largest food-borne illness in state history, according to a staff report.
"We did not inspect that event, and in retrospect that was a real problem," said Dan Huff, the city's director of environmental health.
The cost of the extra workload, expected to be between $85,000 and $95,000 will likely be made up by fees for the additional inspections, staff members said Monday.
Eric Roper
