Posted on 11/19/2014 6:00:10 AM PST by dennisw
EXCLUSIVE: Food poisoning, 'hopeless' lack of regulation cited at NYC's street carts The city’s 311 line received 359 calls of food poisoning or unsanitary conditions at street carts and trucks in three years — including tainted food, workers without gloves, roaches on carts and other stomach-churning complaints. Critics say the vendors operate under a lack of oversight. Funky fruit. Icky ice cream. Putrid pretzels. Toxic tacos.
Those are among hundreds of complaints made by nauseous New York street diners who pulled their heads from the toilet long enough to dial the city’s 311 line.
More than half of the 359 complaints received between June 2011 and June 2014 came from Manhattan, where critics charge the carts operate under lax, to the point of laxative, regulations.
“It’s very loose, the enforcement,” said Daniel Biederman, president of the 34th Street Partnership. “We’ve been asking the Health Department, and Consumer Affairs, and the police to get together with regulations on appearance and cleanliness.
“It seems like a hopeless case.”
The complaints covered foods of all ethnicities — Mexican, Indian, Greek, Korean, Italian.
There was that sausage sandwich sold from a Sixth Ave. food cart near Radio City Music Hall at Christmastime.
Ho, ho, whoa — somebody’s about to get awfully sick.
“Caller states that he ate an Italian sausage sandwich and was food poisoned from eating it,” read the operator’s summary of the December 2011 call.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
Freepers___
When was the last time you got sick from a food cart....anywhere?
It sounds like New Yawk needs a mustard and relish czar.
I see the NYC nanny-staters have a new target. Time to get rid of street food carts in New York. If you want to eat lunch, you’ll have to spend $15 for a sandwich in a deli or restaurant.
Never.
Burger King back in the nineties however. ..shudder.
That's why they love the minimum wage. It can be used to drive small businesses out of business.
And yet I bought tacos made of “mystery meat” from a street vendor in Cabo with no ill effects.
:-D
When I was in Mexico, the base state of being in business is a tray of food around your neck with a heat source. Somebody had practically every corner covered. My hosts had their favorites and I ate everything from fish to beef with no ill effects. True, you were, in my opinion, taking your chances. But the vendors seemed to have tasty and hot food. (The spices and heat probably cuts down on bacteria.)
If Mexico had the laws and regulation we have here none of those people would be making a living. What we need here is fewer laws and regulation.
Lack of regulation in NY? LOL
Never - because I never eat at those food carts in New York City. Many restaurants aren't better.
Wash it down with a Big Gulp, NY.
Fish, shrimp and seafood tacos is what Americans eat at Cabo
When I lived in the Northeast in the late eighties early nineties, we used to eat at the street carts in NYC all the time. When you are sightseeing or shopping in the city it was a fast meal and usually good. We never had a problem. Also, I might add 300 complaints in 3 years where millions of people eat everyday is not a lot. Of course if you are the one with food positing you might think differently, but this is not an issue....
My daughter backpacked through Viet Nam (and SE Asia) in 2002. She ate most of her food at street vendors in open markets. Did not get sick once.
She said she stood back and watched a little while. Chose the vendors with the longest lines and least flies.
I've had food poisoning 4 times in my life. Twice from "restaurants", twice from "fast food" joints. Never from a food cart.
The lament of Italians and Germans in the 1920s.
Lord knows we could not have food prepared, bought and consumed by consenting adults without government occupying a seat at the table.
/johnny
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