SALT LAKE COUNTY — Health officials are warning customers to keep an eye out for unpermitted food vendors. Some licensed food truck owners say those without permits are cutting into their business.
“It’s a bigger problem than we realize," Andrea Gamble, an Environmental Health Scientist in the Bureau of Food Protection, said.
Off Road Mexican Food — a food truck in American Fork — has been serving customers for the past couple of years. “One horchata, gracias!" staff member Brayan Loza said to a customer on Tuesday.
The food truck has tacos, quesadillas, and they even have their permit. But Gamble says that not every food vendor gets one. “We receive 2-3 complaints about unpermitted food vendors every single day," Gamble said. "Within the last 6 months, we've been seeing a lot more of these pop-up food vendors."
On Tuesday, Gamble showed me a few complaints they’ve received recently. “Everything was in the back of a van, and the meat was being stored in a garbage bag; the salsa was not being held under temperature control next to a gas can," she explained while pointing to photos.
I asked her where they’ve typically found vendors without permits. “Hotdog vendors outside of concerts, and then there’s just food vendors, usually the taco vendors on the side of the road," Gamble said.
And some permitted vendors are feeling the impact. Matias Gonzalez is a food truck owner in Salt Lake County; he’s been operating for 3 years. “My sales have declined," Gonzalez said. "Since they’re not following the same guidelines we have to follow, we don’t feel this is healthy competition.”
Gonzalez says some unpermitted vendors set up right near his truck, often waiting until the health department stops doing inspections for the day. “We can do what we wish to do as business owners, but do it within the law," Gonzalez said.
Health officials say they’ve even seen some food truck operators seek permits from other county health departments with different requirements and then return to operate in Salt Lake County.
They’re asking the community to report those without permits. You can head to SaltLakeHealth.org and click report a problem. For consumers curious about inspection reports, visit saltlakehealth.org/food
