Above the law
The restaurants at the Portland zoo never get any health inspections. No wonder people are getting food poisoning up there.
Equally sad is the fact that the Metro's overpaid chief p.r. flack (a) is caught apparently lying about the reason why, and (b) is comfortable with the concept of the restaurants inspecting themselves:
Metro spokesman Jim Middaugh says county inspectors were always welcome to examine the zoo’s restaurants.But Jon Kawaguchi, environmental health supervisor for Multnomah County, says the county repeatedly offered to inspect zoo restaurants but was turned down by Metro.
"We offered consultative inspections," Kawaguchi says. "They did not accept our offer to be inspected."
Middaugh says zoo restaurant employees do daily inspections, adding there's no evidence county inspections would have prevented the suspected norovirus outbreak.
One more reason to stay out of the zoo, and to figure out a way to clean house at Metro.
| Posted at 1:50 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (11)
Badgers, we don't need no stink'n badgers...
Posted by Tim | December 26, 2012 3:47 PM
Metro's scat don't stink -- just ask 'em!
Even as far back as the contentious "Citizens for the Canyon" negotiations about the Sylvan Interchange project Metro's representative could not be trusted to speak the truth. Even the government facilitator agreed to the condition that "citations of law" had to be presented when a party said that something was "illegal." The much un-loved ODOT, which shaded and colored things very conveniently, never told the whoppers that Metro's reps did.
Posted by Old Zeb | December 26, 2012 3:49 PM
Geeze Louise! Since the people are getting sick, what about the poor animals!?
The behind the scenes areas all must be ghastly!
Never look at the carpet in a restaurant!
Posted by Portland Native | December 26, 2012 3:50 PM
The last time I visited the Zoo, I was distinctly unimpressed with quality of the food offered by the various vendors. I wondered why the Zoo management did not allow a few food carts to set up there. Would result in much better taste and variety.
To Portland Native, above at 3:50PM, I would not worry about the poor animals too much. By all evidence I have seen, the staff actually cares about the animals health and well being. The public...not so much.
Posted by JMac | December 26, 2012 4:29 PM
Hang on a second, how do they get around being required to have county health inspections in their restaurants ?
Posted by tankfixer | December 26, 2012 5:57 PM
Show of hands...
Who here has EVER heard of a governmental agency that declares itself exempt from the same rules it imposes on everyday mere "citizens"?
Posted by ltjd | December 26, 2012 8:01 PM
Metro trumps County?
Itjd: Any of Obama's.
Posted by Sam T. | December 26, 2012 8:56 PM
I'd sure love to know how Metro can exempt itself from state health regulations...
And does it extend to the food services at the Convention Center and the Expo Center, as well as the PCPA facilities (Keller Auditorium, the Schnitz?)
Posted by Erik H. | December 26, 2012 9:01 PM
The whole point of ANY type of inspector (health, electrical, fire, etc.) is that even the most diligent of people sometimes overlook things and you need a fresh set of eyes to check things out.
So....makes me wonder.....do they have their construction work inspected?
Posted by Michelle | December 27, 2012 6:38 AM
Hey, guys....
Metro has to assure that it's food customers get "green meat". What better way than to forgo food inspections?
Posted by godfry | December 27, 2012 6:40 AM
Just looked up "norovirus" on Wikipedia. Man! That stuff is nasty! It can easily live 12 hours on a hard surface and immeditely go aerosol from just one poor person. If you see someone fall ill in a restaurant -- Scram!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus
Posted by concordbridge | December 27, 2012 11:38 PM