Buyers Beware!
Questionable meat sales found in county
By Debbie Lowe

Burns

Sgt. Tony Burns of the Carroll County Sheriff 's D e p a r t m e n t investigated a possible problem with a meat vendor found operating in J e f f e r s o n Township on Monday.

Burns said a call was received from a Tippecanoe Township resident complaining about a pickup truck with a chest freezer loaded with beef in the back.

Burns said he located the truck and the occupants in Jefferson Township. Upon inspection, he found the chest freezer lid held closed with a bungee cord, the meat somewhat warm to the touch and no refrigeration process in use.

When asked about how they kept the meat cold, the sellers said they were using no ice because the air temperature was not warm enough to warrant the use.

Burns said there was no evidence of a permit to sell the meat, although one of the sellers reported they sold a freezer full of meat in Delphi last week.

After he "shut the operation down," Burns photographed the scene and submitted a report, including the photos, to the county health department for review and possible action.

Burns warned all residents to be careful when they consider purchases from vendors with no permits to operate. He said when it comes to buying meat and other foods that can spoil easily, caution is needed to ensure safety.