Cape Girardeau County passes new food handling ordinance

The unanimous agreement by Cape Girardeau County commissioners to approve a sweeping food handling safety ordinance ends a 10-year odyssey, as far as Charlotte Craig is concerned.

"We've been working on it for that long. It has been, not every day for 10 years, but several times a year for 10 years," she said. "It has been a full-fledged year of hard work [over the previous 12 months]."

Craig, the county's health department director, expressed relief immediately after the vote. She and her staff had presented a draft of the ordinance to the commission more than a year ago, but it caused an outcry from local chain restaurant owners and others. Some complained their businesses already enforced stringent training required by corporate parents; others worried the class requirements and fees would hinder non-profit operations.

Joel A. Neikirk of Midamerica Hotels Corp./Drury Restaurants, who called requirements outlined in the draft ordinance "burdensome", said Thursday "the end product is a good product."

He also warned commissioners to expect a few more calls from people unhappy with the new rules, mostly people who own what he called "mom-and-pop" restaurants in outlying county communities.

"It's not a one-hour class in applied food safety. It takes some effort, but it's necessary," he said.

In addition to food safety training standards, the ordinance requires annual permit fees. Grocery stores, for example would pay $120 a year with a $10 fee added for each department such as frozen food. Restaurants serving food would pay $120 a year. Non-profits, such as schools, hospitals, nursing homes and senior centers, would be exempt from the fee.

"Church chicken dinners are not charged," Craig said.

Commercial fair vendors must pay for permits; a group, such as one running a 4-H food stand, would be required to have at least one person attend the county's food handling safety class which will cost $3.

"That's a bargain," Craig said. "We're not wanting the ordinance to make money. As Joel [Neikirk] said, the entire community will benefit. We envision, because we'll be working with the high schools that our future mom and dads will be more food safety savvy and that means fewer food-borne illnesses."

The ordinance allows the health department to shut down an operation for severe or repeated violations, instead of having to call in state officials to do so.

She made an educated guess as to when the rules would go into effect — it is not defined in the ordinance.

"I would be happy with Jan. 1," she said.

For more on this story, check back on semissourian.com or read Friday's Southeast Missourian.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

388-3646