Health department to mark licensed food vendors as investigations of unpermitted carts rise

Environmental health staff briefed the board about a recent rise in unpermitted food vendors and outlined steps to reduce foodborne illness risk.

What staff reported: Axel said the health department has identified more unpermitted, unlicensed food vendors operating at high‑traffic locations. He described common hazards — lack of required permits, poor refrigeration, insufficient handwashing and exposure of food to insects — and warned that these conditions raise the risk of foodborne disease.

Planned response: The department plans a consumer campaign and a visible compliance sticker: “We’re gonna be developing a sticker. It will be bright green and they will have to show that sticker and we're gonna be doing a campaign around that. So if you go to a food cart and you don't see that bright green sticker, buyer beware,” staff said. The department also said it will offer technical assistance to help operators comply with licensing rather than defaulting to enforcement.

Context and outreach: Staff noted the county’s border location and cultural norm of informal vendors and emphasized working with vendors to bring them into compliance. The department also noted the incoming state cottage food rulemaking and that more guidance will follow once the state finalizes rules.

Bottom line: The health department will inspect, seek voluntary compliance and deploy a consumer‑facing green sticker to help buyers identify licensed vendors while providing technical assistance to startup food businesses.