Walla Walla County health officials say unpermitted food vendors are serving food in unsafe conditions, ask for law‑enforcement help and public education

Walla Walla — County Environmental Health officials told the Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners on Monday that inspections of unpermitted mobile food vendors have found foods held at unsafe temperatures and operating setups that lack required handwashing and sanitizing equipment.

Cody Rawlings, environmental health division manager, said the department has encountered multiple pop‑up stands and mobile setups that “have the appearance of being a permitted establishment” but lack required controls. “The temperatures that we measured at different locations were from 65 to 90 degrees,” Rawlings said, adding that cold foods must be held at 41°F or below and hot foods at 135°F or above.

The finding matters because, Rawlings said, food held in that “danger zone” fosters bacterial growth and increases the risk of foodborne illness. He cited the county code and state rules in his presentation: “any person operating a food establishment without a valid permit issued by the…