Bugging Out In Music City

The Nashville Convention Center received a failing score of 51 out of 100 points for a food safety inspection March 6th, and failed a re-inspection 10 days later when the Metro Health Department once again reportedly found live roaches in the kitchen.

Jerry Rowland, the director of food protection services for the Metro Health Department, said convention officials had corrected all problems by the time of the re-inspection except for the bug bugaboo, according to the Tennessean.

"They attacked the problems we identified," Rowland said. [But] we know somebody in 10 days is not going to get completely rid of roaches."

The inspectors initially found 20 out of 44 possible violations at the 9,000-capacity venue, which serves more than 500,000 meals a year.

In addition to creepy crawlers on the wall behind the steamers and an oven on the prep line, chemical sanitizer was stored next to food on a prep table and there was no hot water at a hand sink in the cook area. There was also wastewater coming out of a prep sink and an employee improperly washing and sanitizing a utensil.

Charles Starks, the Center’s executive director, said roaches are not a recurring problem and that employees sprayed for the pests twice and would try another treatment, according to the Tennessean.

The Metro Health Department planned to return soon to make sure the roaches’ convention center dinner parties are gone for good.

In addition, Rowland and his staff scheduled a meeting with Ovations, the convention center’s food service contractor.

"They’ve got to be serving safe, high-quality food," Rowland said, according to the paper.

Starks was not available for comment.