Sporting arenas, factories can have hidden mold problems

American cable sports network ESPN recently released a report of safety issues found in sporting arenas across North America, including mold. 

Rexall Place in Edmonton had the worst food safety record in Canada, including mold in several food preparation machines and areas. Mold in these food preparation areas can trigger asthma or allergies in both workers and customers, and can lead to indoor air quality issues at the same time. 

Mold isn’t limited to machines or food preparation areas, either: earlier this year, mold testing revealed that a major batch of Tylenol and other drugs were recalled because of mold contamination at the factory where they were produced, leaving the pills themselves with a moldy odour. The pills were stored on mold-infested, wet and rotting wooden pallets. The pills made a large number of consumers ill, with complaints of nausea, vomiting and stomach pains. 

When health inspectors visit various food preparation outlets, like grocery stores and factories, they might show up only once per year and rarely is it ever a surprise. Often, managers are warned ahead of time or can catch a glimpse of the shower-cap and white coat-clad inspectors checking out the building section by section, giving staff hours to clean house and hide anything the inspectors may frown upon so production isn’t interrupted. In some cases, the inspectors do little more than ensure staff knows how to wash their hands according to the little notice posted by the hand sink, or take temperatures of food items to ensure they’re being stored properly. They don’t open, move or look under anything, and they certainly don’t test for mold.  

Mold can be common in these commercial buildings, in improperly set-up refrigerators, on food, in machines and even in walls or under counters.   Indoor air quality and mold testing isn’t something that should be limited to residential properties, because the effects of mold in commercial food or consumable product preparation areas can have a chain-reaction effect, affecting thousands of people.  

Should you feel you or your employees are at risk of mold contamination, Contact Moldinspections.ca for Professional Mold Testing services in Toronto.

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