PLENTY OF GOOD FOOD AVAILABLE

Go ahead: Eat that favorite Riverfest food and enjoy it.

After a brief shower Friday morning, final festival preparations were taking place, including the opening of Riverfest food concessions.

A wide range of food includes funnel cakes, pizza, shish-ka-bobs, taffy, roasted almonds, ice cream, and crab ragoon.20All concession stands are on Water and Themis streets.

Nancy Foor, an environmental-public-health specialist for the Cape Girardeau County Health Department, said every concession passed inspection.

"We had a brief problem getting water to the food stands, but after that a few minor problems were resolved," she said.

Twenty-five concession and food stands had to be inspected and approved before they could serve Riverfest-goers.

Foor said the health department inspects all concession stands for any area event. "The stands must have hot and cold running water for washing hands," she said.

She said improper hand washing by food handlers accounts for 25 percent of all food-borne illnesses.

"We also look for the proper temperature in freezers and refrigerators," she said. "Cold food must be kept cold and frozen food must be frozen solid."

Foor said that each stand must have a long-stem thermometer to check the temperature of cooked food. All cooking areas must be screened.

"All food must be prepared on site," said Foor. "All meat must be cooked at a certain temperature."

Food ingredients such as meat are required to be from reputable sources that are inspected.

"They can't just bring food that is cooked at home and sell it," she said.

Concessions that come from out of the area must furnish health inspection reports from other areas where they have previously done business.