Food courts can be a quick and easy option to satisfy your appetite while shopping, but do they deserve their reputation as a risk for food poisoning?

One food safety expert says food courts can pose unique challenges due to the close proximity of vendors, but there are no hard numbers supporting an increased risk of illness, despite a recent incident in Calgary.

Earlier this year, three food court vendors at Sunridge Mall were shut down after a cockroach infestation spread among the outlets.

In Edmonton, a cockroach infestation at Southgate Centre mall in 2018 also shut down a single business. And a vendor at West Edmonton Mall was fined $12,000 after cockroaches and a host of other health violations were cited in the food court back in 2009.

Lawrence Goodridge, a food safety expert f

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