Doug says I’m the sensitive one of the barfblog crew (not entirely true, he’s pretty sensitive too). I got even more sensitive when I became a dad. I know my emotions aren’t unique, but sappy movies, especially those focused on parent/kid relationships, make me cry. I’m a nervous flyer (I wasn’t before) irrationally thinking the plane is going down with every bump (leaving my kids fatherless).

Reading about Gage Lefevers funeral made me cry. Two-year-old Gage passed away on Oct 12 after acquiring E.coli O157:H7 at the Cleveland Co. fair. There are at least 46 others who have been ill. Twenty-nine of them kids just like mine. Reading about these illnesses creates a pit in my stomach. The seriousness of the tragedy and how something like this might happen shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who works with food – farmers, processors, food handlers (commercial or domestic) – or the folks who run petting zoos and animal events.

Health authorities are pointing towards animal exhibits (camel riding, petting zoo, a milking display) as a potential source, but it hasn’t been confirmed. Joe DePriest of the Charlotte Observer asked me about why outbreaks at fairs are complex, I told him that there’s a lot going on.

“Vendors — the persons who handled the food. I think about that anytime I eat anything. It comes down to trust of the person who handled the food – trusting someone did everything right.” I extended that to animal exhibits as well.

Animals, food, food handlers; lots of places to mess up. As a patron of a fair or any food business I need to trust that the folks who are running the show know what hazards to focus on and how to reduce the risk. The trust isn’t built just on hope and wonder though – it comes from asking questions, and getting the right answers about controls. And looking for indicators that the folks are actually doing what they say.

I buy fresh produce from places that require their suppliers to implement GAPs and send their own folks on the farm to check. I eat products from businesses (large and small, local and multi-national) who are players in the food safety community – and don’t just say food safety is really important. I ask lots of questions at restaurants, stuff like cooking my burger to 160F, and continue to eat there when I get answers like “sure, the cook has a thermometer back there.”  All of this makes me feel like someone is paying attention, increasing the chance that the folks on the front lines will get it right – that’s the trust I’m looking for. It’s no guarantee though.

I’m an insider, how is a mere mortal to do it without frank discussions about risks and consequences. Build trust by showing the systems, practices and data. Let patrons make an informed decision instead of saying just trust us.

These tragedies happen often, but it’s not enough to just understand why; operators need to actually do something to reduce risks. Good fair operators are watching this case closely and evaluating whether their current strategies would have avoided the outbreak. Changes might mean adjusting a process, increased training, testing and better communication of risks to patrons. The focus needs to be on how to reduce the chances that a tragedy like Gage’s passing doesn’t happen again.