Mohave County officials are alerting the public to unlicensed food vendors who frequently relocate to dodge violation notices, often operating without proper food safety protocols.
Environmental Health Manager Tara Stanec said the vendors on their radar lately appear more sophisticated and transient than the local, smaller setups the county tended to see in the past. And despite the seemingly constantly shifting products among some non-permitted vendors, they appeared to have resources and coordination across several counties.
“When you're an unpermitted vendor, and especially when you're so mobile — we can issue notices of violation. We can issue a cease and desist order. I know law enforcement can issue citations,” said Stanec. “We’ve issued a lot of NOVs over the last year or so for unpermitted food vendors, and I want to say only about two have come back in to get a proper permit.”
When these vendors receive a notice of violation, they move — often across county lines.
“Whether it's a mobile food vendor or a temporary event, food vendor, or even like your brick-and-mortar — when you go in to eat, you know you want to be looking for their permit, their rating card,” said Stanec. “But also look at how they're handling their food. Are they washing their hands? Are they wearing gloves?”
Serving food without the correct permit, she added, poses the risk of foodborne illness and is a misdemeanor.
Stanec said officials across several counties are working to raise public awareness and push for enforcement policy at the state level.
