Dealing with Health Department during turn ins

[McEvoy AZ]

I had an unusual happening during my last competition. The Heath Department from the county that the competition was in did an inspection during chicken turn in. I didn't want to tell him to get lost, but he was actually temping my chicken while I was building my chicken box. Also the first time I ever went through a health department inspection at a comp, so I didn't know what to expect. It did throw me off my game a little bit and I ended up running my box and making the turn in by around 30 seconds. Not complaining as there are usually various thing that can throw you off your game, but I did not expect this one. Has anyone have a story like this and how did you handle it?

[RobKC]

I can't see myself handling that scenario very well at all.

[rooftop bbq]

I've told them to get lost before, as many can attest dont miss with me during turn ins. If you are doing PC make sure to have another person that can take care of the HD will you do your thing.

[smokinit]

Dont have that problem at all around here don't think they have a say as long as we are not serving the public.

[HarleyGirl14226]

I think if someone from outside of our team came into our site and said they needed to temp our food during a turn-in while I was preparing a box, there would be some Jersey Girl action coming into play.

Were you forewarned by the organizer that the Health dept. might be making a visit at some point during the comp.?

[Icekub]

I would not have let anyone touch anything having to do w/ my turn in boxes. That's ridiculous

[Goddahavit]

I have seen a few around that have had these issues, I just vote with my money and I do not sign up for them.

Some make a big deal about inspected fire extinguishers as well, I just do not return to those comps. they are just trying to take money out of my pocket for nothing...

just added aggravation i do not need during a comp...

[rookiedad]

if anyone wants to step into camp during turn in times they better be planning on sharing the entry fees!!!

[smokinit]

They have come into camp if you were doing a peoples choice event but the Q contest is a private event not involving the public unless the orginizers wanted it.

[Fat Freddy]

At my very first ever contest I had to deal with Health Dept right at chicken turn in. So the next year at the same contest I asked at the cooks meeting about the health dept and was told we would only have to deal with them if we were doing public tasting. We were the very first spot from the check in area and was NOT doing PC however health dept still came over(at least it was a better time Saturday morning) and checked temps but mainly if we had 3 wash basins and the proper sanitizer to water ratio. We were OK(had to add a tad more sanitizer) and after she left to the next team I went to the organizer and told her. I dont know exactly what happened from there except eventually the Rep came over and as far as I know it stopped. The way the Rep explained to me was that he had to tell the lady from HD that this was a private type event and the HD can ONLY go to teams doing PC. This was a couple of years ago KCBS.

[McEvoy AZ]

Not many people were doing peoples choice at this event because of some of the heath departments demands. At the last second we agreed to do it because we wanted to help the charity, since there was not much participation in pc at this event, It was otherwise a fun event. I guess next year it is unfortunate we probably will not be doing PC. By the way we did well in the health inspection, the inspector found no violations.

[DownHomeQue]

thats crazy... your doing turn-ins and they are poking your chicken? i would've blew a gasket...

[ynotfehc]

I havent dealt with HD at a competition, but if you know in advance that you might have to deal with them, write down your temps when you pull if from the smoker and the time, and show them how you are holding them. I dont know anybody that only cooks 6 pieces of chicken, ribs, etc for KCBS, give them one of the extras you arent using or are still in your holding box, and go about your business. They dont have to temp each piece of chicken.

[Gowan]

That organizer isn't doing right by the cooks. If I ran an event where an HD inspector appeared I would personally sit chaperone them and run interference for the cook teams from 11:30-2:00.

Of course the proper thing to do is to prevent this from happening in the first place. There is absolutely no reason for a health inspector to be in a comp team's site unless that team is serving food to the public. Judges sign a waiver, they don't count as "public".

[Coz]

Our 4th contest we were ever in Royal Invitational. There were some scantily clad young ladies running around with some sauce trying get people to try it .The one actually was going to pour it on the meat that was in the turn in box. I think MJL likely saved that girls life by getting her out of there at that point .My wife had that look ...