As the weather finally warms up in Colorado, you can enjoy eating outside at local food trucks. This warm season is also the busiest time of the year for food truck operators and customers. But how can we be sure these mobile units are serving safe food?
Michael Roy is an environmental health specialist with the Arapahoe County Public Health Department. He said there are about 260 food trucks operating in Arapahoe County, all of which undergo two types of inspections each year.
The first inspection is the license renewal inspection. That's when the owner-operator brings the food truck to the county health department and passes an inspection. Health professionals are looking for a clean unit, good working plumbing, refrigeration, equipment, etc.
“This also gives the operator a chance to clean the phone and do a second check to make sure everything is working before contacting us,” Roy said. Ta.
Michael Roy, an environmental health specialist with the Arapahoe County Public Health Department, tests the temperature of food truck refrigerators to ensure food safety. CBS
A health professional will then travel to the area at a later date to visit the same food truck and perform an operational inspection to ensure the truck is properly set up and serving food.
“We want consumers to feel confident that they can go to Arapahoe County's mobile food truck and get safe food. Another thing we really want to emphasize is: “We're working really hard with operators to make sure that consumers really understand all the regulations and why it's important,” Roy said.
The health professional will also discuss with the operator how to operate within the mobile unit and food safety risk factors. Medical professionals also provide guidance to owners on how to operate more efficiently.
The test will take approximately 1 to 3 hours. The most common violations include trucks operating without water, improper hand washing, and food not being hot or cold enough. Many of these issues can be fixed on-site.
Susan Mejia is a business owner who also helps food truck owners obtain their licenses and registrations. She said there are some common mistakes business owners make when starting their business.
“One of them is commercial equipment. A lot of people want to save money on equipment, but commercial equipment is not the same as regular equipment, so it's very important to buy it. “One common mistake is that the water heater is very important,” Mejia said, “and that it's efficient.”
Mejia also helps operators fill out the necessary paperwork, take photos and take measurements of everything inside the food truck to ensure they get the license. This step can take up to three hours, she said.
Approximately 50 tests have been conducted at Arapahoe County sites so far this year.
Once a food truck owner obtains a license in Arapahoe County, he or she can operate a food truck in the state of Colorado, excluding the city and county of Denver, and vice versa. Businesses licensed in Denver can only do business in Denver and cannot do business in any other part of the state.