It’s that time of year again when people flock from Houston and all over to attend the State Fair of Texas. Participants pack up their horses, cattle, and other livestock for rodeos, exhibitions, and auctions. Farmers bring their crops in to celebrate Texas’s agricultural history.
There are many things to do and see at the fair. Officials have to make sure all of them are safe for the millions of people who will walk through the doors. This includes providing adequate security, fine-tuning the rides, maintaining the corrals, and, yes, making sure all of the food is safe to eat.
More than 200 vendors will offer a wide variety of food and drink options this year with sales expected to add up to about $1 million per day. City of Dallas Health Inspectors will attend the festivities to help the fair staff ensure that the vendors are keeping standards.
Vendors are not the only parties with a duty to keep clean standards for the food. The buildings, electrical wiring, and the plumbing and water system all have to have permits and be up to code. A little bit of contamination in the water system alone could cause serious health problems for workers and attendees.
Product liability is an area of the law that provides a route to compensation for victims who suffer harm because of a defective or dangerous product. Lawsuits commonly focus on children’s toys, auto parts, and other non-edible items. Food and beverages are still products that can cause food poisoning and other serious harm, which is one reason officials take cleanliness seriously.
