Maricopa County takes action against illegal food vendors amid reports of illness

PHOENIX – Maricopa County authorities are warning people not to eat food from street vendors who operate without a license after more than a dozen people have become ill in recent weeks.

In a statement released Monday, officials from the county's environmental agency said they had received reports of 17 people suffering from various gastrointestinal complaints after eating at a group of unlicensed street vendors.

“MCESD has contacted the operators regarding the allegations and food code violations identified during the complaint inspections. Due to the lack of cooperation from the operators in addressing and resolving this matter, the department has initiated legal action against the unlicensed food vendors,” part of the statement reads. The county says the vendors were notified of health violations, but the issues were not addressed, so the county has now taken legal action.

While officials with the Environmental Protection Agency did not name vendors, they said they typically set up a pop-up tent or folding table on the sidewalk or in parking lots and sell tacos al pastor with the meat on a rotisserie. The agency also listed a number of allegedly unsafe and/or unhealthy food handling practices, including:

• Storage of food on the “Trompo”, a vertical rotisserie, in a garbage bag without temperature control
• Storing unrefrigerated meat in a broken container
• Transport of food and beverages in an unhygienic manner
• Preparation of open raw meat without washing hands

“It is important to note that the businesses affected by these illness reports should not be confused with the vast majority of street food vendors, including taco stands, that practice safe food practices,” part of the statement said.

Environmental Agency officials believe that purchasing food from approved suppliers is the safest option.

“Permits issued by the MCESD require vendors to follow basic food safety practices such as handwashing, maintaining proper food temperatures and purchasing food from approved sources. This reduces the risk of foodborne illness,” the statement said.