COLUMBUS, Ohio — Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to enjoy a taste of summer at the Ohio State Fair, but very few people know what goes into keeping the food vendors and booths clean and safe.

With more than 200 food vendors, it takes an army of inspectors to ensure they are using proper food handling techniques,10TV's Glenn McEntyre reported on Thursday.

Lin Haman and her granddaughter Julia took a break to sample one of the fair's main attractions, the food.

SLIDESHOW: Images From Report | VIDEO: Ohio State Fair Camera

"That's what most people come for," Haman said.

When it comes to the safety of food at the fair versus a restaurant, Haman said she has her doubts.

"There are people handling food and you don't know who they are, or you don't know if they know about certain temperatures," Haman said.

The Columbus Public Health Department said just as it does for restaurants, it holds cooks and food handlers at the fair to the same state-mandated standards.

"Here at the fair we have the really large responsibility of making sure all the food vendors are licensed and are serving their food the appropriate way so that individuals will stay healthy and safe," said CPH Dr. Mysheika LeMaile-Williams.

Mike Thiel is one of the people with Columbus Public Health that is charged with carrying out that responsibility.

"One thing we always look at, at each facility, is to make sure the temperatures are acceptable," Thiel said. "Make sure the cold food's cold and the hot food's hot."

Along with temperature, proper hand washing is a critical factor in food safety, McEntyre reported.
    
It is also one of the most common violations Thiel sees.

"We'll be out to most of the facilities at least twice; sometimes three or four times," Thiel said. "If we have a place we have issues with, we'll come back the next day."

The inspections offer a little peace of mind for Haman, who was already planning her next stop on her fair food parade.

"An apple dumpling with ice cream, and it's about that tall! Maybe we'll share one," she said.

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Previous Stories:

July 28, 2010: Ohio State Fair Launches 'Foodfinder' App
July 27, 2010: Tribute To Browns, Bengals Among Ohio State Fair Butter Sculptures
July 26. 2010: Ride Inspectors Busy Prepping For State Fair

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