Photograph by Jim Richardson
The food concourse at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines features everything from prosaic hamburgers to such specialties as Cajun chicken on a stick, deep-fried candy bars, and corndogs. There have been sightings of fresh fruit and salads as well. So that fairgoers only have to worry about what carnival rides do to their stomachs, county inspectors monitor cooking temperatures and sanitary conditions at the 150 food stands. Americans spend about 40 percent of their food budget on meals prepared away from home, increasing the chances, health officials say, that what we eat could make us sick.
