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County officials warn of health risks, organized networks behind unpermitted food vending in Los Banos area
Summary
Merced County environmental health officials told the Los Banos City Council that many roadside, unpermitted food operations lack refrigeration, handwashing and commissary connections and can pose “very dangerous” public‑health risks; the county described use of triple fines, equipment impoundment and coordination with DAs to pursue larger criminal networks.
Merced County environmental health officials described a widening problem of unpermitted food vending and outlined enforcement tools at the March 18 Los Banos City Council meeting.
“We typically find meats in bags, no soap, no sanitizer, no refrigeration,” Amanda Durand, deputy director of the county’s environmental health division, told the council. She said county teams document onsite conditions, impound unsafe equipment and bill operators — including a triple‑fee penalty — and that the county is coordinating vehicle‑plate checks and investigations with district attorneys and sheriff’s offices across counties.
Mark Mims, director of county community and economic development, said the county has ramped up enforcement because the operations are often mobile and repeat across jurisdictions. “We know this is an issue plaguing the county and the cities,” he said, adding that the county is working with neighboring counties’ investigators.
Durand described specific public‑health hazards: food stored in trash bags, uncovered raw meat, sauces mixed in open containers, makeshift wash stations without soap, and reports of maggots in tortillas. She said the county uses health‑and‑safety codes to inspect, cite and — when needed — impound equipment for 30 days; operators rarely retrieve seized equipment, and the county is seeking options to recycle stainless‑steel gear rather than landfill it.
County staff also noted an enforcement tool known as a commissary requirement: permitted mobile food vendors must use an approved commissary to prepare food safely. Durand said the county is exploring additional vehicle‑code and penal‑code remedies and working with DA investigators on possible tax‑evasion and criminal‑enterprise charges where networks appear to coordinate vendor activity across multiple sites.
Council members asked how the public can spot permitted vendors. Durand said permits should be posted and visible and encouraged residents to ask vendors whether they have a permit; the county has posted QR codes and flyers explaining how to file complaints and how to obtain permits for permitted cottage‑food businesses.
The presentation included an appeal to residents to avoid confrontations at vendor sites; Durand urged citizens to report suspected unpermitted vending via the county’s complaint channels so staff and law enforcement can follow up safely.
The council thanked county staff for their work and for outreach at community events. No formal council action was required; the presentation served to inform local enforcement coordination and public outreach.
