Pinal County is warning consumers to check for a sticker showing food vendors have passed inspection.
Christopher Reimus, a sanitarian and deputy director of the Pinal County Public Health Services District, said the requirement isn’t new but there has been a rise in unauthorized food vendors throughout the state.
“They’ve continued to show up even when they’re told not to,” said Reimus. “So the county has been looking at ways to take further enforcement. That’s currently being evaluated, but we wanted to get ahead of things by informing the public to ‘buyer beware.’”
While most are compliant, he said, the stands at issue lack the right setup or training.
“Basic food safety things such as hand washing, temperature control, or even obtaining their foods from approved and safe sources,” Reimus said.
Spotting unauthorized vendors is especially important from a public safety standpoint, he added.
“We’ve also had reports of foodborne illness associated with these types of operations,” said Reimus.
And although specific data is yet to come, Reimus said the uptick in vendors unwilling to cooperate with inspection guidelines was enough to prompt the warning in the meantime.
