Planning to eat at the ballpark? You might want to make other plans

Take me out to the ballgame?

Sure. Just don’t buy me any peanuts or Cracker Jacks. Or hot dogs or nachos or sushi.

If you do, I might never make it back.

Nutrition isn’t an issue in large sports venues. Nobody expects to eat healthy in an arena, stadium, or ballpark. But eating clean? Yeah, you don’t want to skimp on that.

ESPN recently collected health inspection reports from major sports venues throughout North America. And you can just imagine — violations read like a health inspector’s nightmare: bacterial growth in ice machines and condiment dispensers, meat sold beyond expiration dates, droppings and other evidence of rodents and insects, toxic materials stored near food, debris (including insects) blended in with frozen beverages.

My favorite: An Arizona inspector spotted an employee scooping ice with his bare hands.

Poorly refrigerated food was one of the most common violations. One food stand in a Los Angeles arena had to dump nearly 10 pounds of sushi that inspectors said was too warm.

Well, is anyone shocked that sushi and sports might not be the best mix?

But then, apparently basic food items and sports don’t mix all that well either, unless you’re at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, NY, or Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. Those were the only two venues in North America that had no critical health violations in 2009.

Sources:
“Vendor Inspection Reports” ESPN, 7/25/10, sports.espn.go.com
“Report on Stadium Food Finds Bad Conditions” Chris Chase, Yahoo, 7/26/10, sports.yahoo.com