"Every year, after the annual food festivities have finished, selfless volunteers round up thousands of pounds of leftovers from the massive cookoff and prep them for distribution to the less fortunate."

Simple solution: Invite the homeless to the festival. Rather than truck the food to the homeless, bus the homeless to the food. They can stand in line with the rest of the attendees and get their hot food for free.

Unless, of course, the homeless aren't the "type" of people they want at the festival. They have big hearts ... but not that big, I guess.

Misterwhite approves; let them starve, it wasn't people who could only get government jobs-approved food. Just made by normal people, like you do at home, where everybody dies after the meal.

... round up thousands of pounds of leftovers from ...

In the US, food poisoning leads to the hospitalization of 300,000 and kills 5,000 annually!

How many when you subtract out Chipotle, Whole Foods and Mexicans shitting on top of green onions?

"Misterwhite approves; let them starve"

Can't read? I said invite them to the festival. Don't you agree?

How many when you subtract out Chipotle …

Eventually a total of 55 people were stricken with food poisoning from Chipotle.

If Chipolte can’t even prevent food poisoning, how can vendors in a parking lot be expected to?

Because vendors in a parking lot care about their business and their customers; they don't hire random teenagers who don't give a damn.

Kookers Kares president said if health inspectors had any questions they should have just asked. He said his group has a refrigerated truck at American Royal, and his team of food safety experts only collect food that’s piping hot or ice cold.

Because vendors in a parking lot care about their business and their customers; they don't hire random teenagers who don't give a damn.

That being the case, then we can assume the vendors at the Cider Mill Ciderfest in Kansas City cared about their business and their customers….right” Well, quoting Forest Gump: “Shit happens.”

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 among people who attended the Louisburg Cider Mill Ciderfest in Louisburg, Kansas. That event was held September 24 to 25 and October 1 to 2, 2016. So far, seven laboratory-confirmed cases of E. coli illnesses have been confirmed in this outbreak.
https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2016/e-coli-outbreak-associated-with- louisburg-cider-mill-ciderfest-in-kansas/.

Kookers Kares president said if health inspectors had any questions they should have just asked. He said his group has a refrigerated truck at American Royal, and his team of food safety experts only collect food that’s piping hot or ice cold.

So, that’s it. That’s the whole story for you….and that is what you are buying into.

That figures …

Well, there seems to be more to the story….as there always is, with these yellow journalism articles.

Let’s start with this one first:

Harvesters Community Food Network said a labeling error led to the issue, but didn't elaborate on how it occurred.
http://fox4kc.com/2016/11/03/hundreds-of-pounds-of-american-royal- barbecue-bleached-and-thrown-in-dumpster/.

This begs a two part question: Why would the group distributing the food not “elaborate on how it occurred” and why would the author, Matt Agorist, not bother to check further and find out WHAT occurred?

I already know the answer to the second part….you can take a stab at answering the first part.

Gawd, I hate Yellow Journalism ….with a passion!

Kookers Kares president said if health inspectors had any questions they should have just asked.

I am bit suspicious about the Health Inspection agency that destroyed the food. I assume that at least once a year, the agency pays a visit to Kookers Kare and inspects everything from the temperature of the food to the sanitary holding of the food to the correct temperature of the refrigeration units. I am assuming the agency makes a full report of these findings and makes their recommendations to Kookers Kare without destroying food. Unless the food has been tainted with salmonella, there should never have been any other reason to destroy the food at all. And if I were Kookers Kare I'd sue that agency.

[…] I assume that at least once a year, the agency pays a visit to Kookers Kare and inspects everything from the temperature of the food to the sanitary holding of the food to the correct temperature of the refrigeration units. I am assuming the agency makes a full report of these findings and makes their recommendations to Kookers Kare without destroying food. […]

Your assumption would probably be correct, at least with intent, if Kookers Kare were some type of a regular Soup Kitchen in a physical building at a permanent location to help the homeless and needy like this one: Kansas City Community Kitchen. {Check it out].

The location of Kookers Kare is nowhere to be found with a Google search….at least I couldn’t find it, you may. Their website can be found: http://kookerskare.com and their Facebook page can be found: https://www.facebook.com/KookersKare/ along with promotional information.

With further checking, you will find that Kookers Kare is simply a group of charitable volunteers who, in this case, went out to collect food and drop it off at Soup Kitchens in the Kansas City area. The Kansas City Health Department said it had no idea these collections and donations were going on at the Royal every year until happened to discover it during an inspection at Hope City….one of the Soup Kitchens that Kookers Kare was drooping off the collected food to. Harvesters was another. There were others.

“All of that food collected and delivered by Kookers Kare was uninspected, so that makes it from an unapproved source, it can not be served to the public," Kansas City Health Department Operations Manager Joe Williamson said. The KCHD could not determine if it was “held at the proper temperature when it was collected, when it was transported, how was it transported, stored and stacked.” Williamson said: “These are all questions we couldn’t answer and no one could tell us.” “Did someone slaughter a hog or a cow from their home property, was it done under a USDA or state inspection? We don't know," Williamson said.

While you are a “bit suspicious” about the Health Inspection agency….I tend to question the managerial ability and judgment of the directors at Kookers Kare. I realize there are no doubt overly zealous inspectors “shot in the ass” with their authority, but it is surprising that none of the Soup Kitchens had any other problems, except the one they had with Kookers Kare’s pick up and delivery methods. It would seem that a basic managerial action for Kookers Kare would have been to check in advance with the KCHD to determine the requirement for solicited excess food from a BBQ to be delivered to Soup Kitchens. Dontcha think?

It would seem that a basic managerial action for Kookers Kare would have been to check in advance with the KCHD to determine the requirement for solicited excess food from a BBQ to be delivered to Soup Kitchens. Dontcha think?

Since when does a soup kitchen have to report "excess food" to the State? The reason why those soup kitchens exists is because so many people are out of work and need that assistance. As long as the morons in D.C. continue to outsource jobs out of this country, expect to see more people at these soup kitchens regardless of education levels.

It would seem that a basic managerial action for Kookers Kare would have been to check in advance with the KCHD to determine the requirement for solicited excess food from a BBQ to be delivered to Soup Kitchens. Dontcha think?

Since when does a soup kitchen have to report "excess food" to the State?

Never….that I know of.

The reason why those soup kitchens exists is because so many people are out of work and need that assistance.

That’s correct.

As long as the morons in D.C. continue to outsource jobs out of this country, expect to see more people at these soup kitchens regardless of education levels.

That’s right.

Nothing you have stated shows that Kookers Kare can go to the American Royal and pick up whatever excess BBQ food they want to and deliver to the soup kitchens for public consumption….without complying with the KCHD regulations. The KK can only do so if they are in compliance with the KCHD regulation.

The KK can only do so if they are in compliance with the KCHD regulation.

And what regulations would apply regarding excess food?

More liberal garbage. You enjoy it when people are enabled into sheep that live in servitude.

You filthy bleeding heart

Haven't you read the signs in wildlife parks? Feeding the animals causes DEPENDENCY.

And what regulations would apply regarding excess food?

A labeling problem would lead me to surmise that they did not label the food with the date and time that it was packaged, or failed to note the time for the earliest prepared item in a mixed lot.

Regulations also require that the food be procured from an officially approved source.

The regulations for Kansas City, Missouri Food Code is 258 pages.

http://kcmo.gov/health/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2013/09/Kansas-City-Mo.-Food-Code.pdf

At 84:

(C) A refrigerated, READY-TO-EAT, POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOOD (TIME/TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR SAFETY FOOD) ingredient or a portion of a refrigerated, READY-TO-EAT, POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOOD (TIME/TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR SAFETY FOOD) that is subsequently combined with additional ingredients or portions of FOOD shall retain the date marking of the earliest-prepared or first prepared ingredient.

The KK can only do so if they are in compliance with the KCHD regulation.

And what regulations would apply regarding excess food?

The Kansas City Missouri Health Department Food Code

If Kookers Kare had a food permit, then surely they would have had a copy of the code and complied with it….one would think.

Kookers Kare is just that, a group of competition BBQ cooks who volunteer their time to raise funds and cook food to help the food insecure population in and around Kansas City. The food collected at the American Royal BBQ was either hot, right off the smokers or packaged and refrigerated by the teams. It was then collected and stored on site in a Harvesters refrigerator truck. The truck was driven to Harvesters warehouse Sunday night where the food was sorted and scheduled for delivery to several food kitchens and feeding stations in Kansas City. One of the things Harvesters does on a regular basis is collect and distribute excess food from many restaurants in the area, this is not a onetime deal for them and they are well aware of the food safety rules and practices. The Hope City kitchen had a receipt showing the food came from Harvesters. If they needed more information about the collection, storage and transport of the food all they had to do was make a call to Harvesters. Kookers Kare and Harvesters volunteers were the ones collecting food at the BBQ. They are all aware of food safety regulations and practices.

It was my understanding the KK had a food permit to begin with.

Just made by normal people, like you do at home, where everybody dies after the meal.

LOL!

It was my understanding the KK had a food permit to begin with.

That's possible, of course. I only surmised they did not because if KK had a food permit, then surely they would have had a copy of The Kansas City Missouri Health Department Food Code....followed proper procedures and this situation would never have occurred. Dontcha think?

Well, my goodness.

Bless your ole pea pickin heart, GaryB.

You went to all the trouble to sign up as a “new” member just to post this information to me.

Goodness gracious….I feel so honored by your devotion.

Oh, by the way….you neglected to source your information. Therefore, will you please be so kind as to now post a link.

Thank you in advance.

Oh, by the way….you neglected to source your information. Therefore, will you please be so kind as to now post a link.

Thank you in advance.

I am the president of Kookers Kare, been a member for 10 years. I have also been a competition BBQ cook and member of the Kansas City BBQ Society for the past 15 years. I spent 3 days organizing and participating in the food rescue at the Amercian Royal BBQ.

Thank you for all you do for the less fortunate ones. Kudos!

I am the president of Kookers Kare ...

Thank you, Mr. Benham, for taking time to make your kind response.

I had not heard of your organization until I read the article, but I am familiar with the work Harvesters does nationwide….especially in Kansas City since I have relatives in Lees Summit.

If I may trouble you, I have a few questions: 1) What specifically was the official stated reason by the KCHD for destroying the food? 2). I believe I read where Harvesters said there is a possibility the situation could not be rectified for next year, do you think it can it be worked out. 3) I see a few BBQ events listed at the American Royal, what was the name of your event.

Best to you in your future endeavors.

With warmest personal regards,
Gatlin

I've been trying to get a response directly from the KCHD to 1) Get an official reason for destroying the food and 2) figure out what hoops we need to jump thru to get this or some version of this program in place. So far they have not answered phone calls or email. We are open to whatever they want us to do. I have several restaurants willing to loan us "permitted facilities' if that's what they need. I also have donations, cooks, smokers and certified volunteers lined up to replace the food that was destroyed. Harvesters and KCBS are on board. I just don't want to move forward and have the same result.

Participants on this forum post articles and discuss them. The articles seem to never present the full details. Research on the Internet often does not provide sufficient information and therefore our discussions sometimes resorts to speculation and opinions when no links to substantiate information are available. As I stated, I am honored that you took time to register on the forum and present pertinent first-hand information.

Will you please take time to post the result of your inquiry with KCHD when you get it and I hope to hear your efforts are successful. Your mission is definitely a noble one and worthy of continuation. Especially considering your statement that your group and Harvesters will fully comply with KCHD requirements….if, as I understand it, the KCHD will only let you know what the requirements are. I wish you the best …

Why do you work so hard so others can DEPEND ON YOU?