Garden Grove Tightens Rules on Foods Served at Festivals

The City Council has approved tougher restrictions on food and drink sold or given away at the Strawberry Festival, the Korean Festival and other community events.

Under an ordinance approved by a 4-1 vote Tuesday, only food prepared in restaurants or at the festival grounds--and inspected by health officials--may be sold at the events. The council passed the law to minimize improper food handling.

The restrictions would cover the annual chili cook-off, a popular contest for the best chili recipe, and the Strawberry Festival held each year during Memorial Day weekend.

“There should not be a problem for us,” said Barbara Burch, president of the Strawberry Festival, where food and drinks are prepared on site.

City Manager George Tindall said the ordinance would make current Orange County health regulations tougher and allow city officials to close food booths that do not meet health standards.

No alcohol may be sold at the festivals.

The council will consider the ordinance for final approval Sept. 6.

A provision to require police officers or firefighters to check the temperature of the food at the food booths was deleted from the ordinance. Instead, county health officials will be required to make sure that spoiled food is not sold.

But the ordinance requires workers at each food booth to have a food thermometer.

“I have a problem with cops and firemen being (on) a hot dog patrol,” said Mayor Frank Kessler, a former Garden Grove police chief. “We can’t have them around checking” thermometers.

Councilman Mark Leyes, who voted against the ordinance, said that the law did not provide a way for the city to recover the cost of inspecting the food booths. He added that the ordinance did not define clearly what constitutes “potentially hazardous food” that must be inspected.

According to the state Health and Safety Code, potentially hazardous food is defined as any food capable of “supporting rapid and progressive growth of microorganisms that may cause food infections.”

Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, baked potatoes, chili and other foods are sold in booths operated by the Kiwanis, Girls and Boys Clubs and other local service groups at the Strawberry Festival.

This year, the festival raised more than $100,000 for local charities, Burch said.

The Korean Festival will be held Oct. 14-16 on Garden Grove Boulevard. Sponsored by the Korean Chamber of Commerce of Orange County, it has been held for the past 11 years.

In addition to food booths, the festival features cultural shows and a parade by members of the county’s Korean American community.