Authorities shut down over 100 unpermitted sidewalk vendors in the last six weeks in Santa Ana, California, for selling food “unfit for human consumption,” city officials announced Dec. 20.
Orange County Health Care Agency personnel collaborated with Santa Ana police and code enforcement to carry out the shutdowns.
“The big thing is safety. The food was not stored and cooked properly,” Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua told The Epoch Times.
She said during her recent campaign for mayor, business owners had spoken with her about such vendors, saying they were unfair to permitted businesses because they don’t pay fees for health permits and take their customers away.
“I’ve had contact with restaurant owners who were saying ‘we pay our business license ... They’re not paying anything. What are you going to do about it?’” Amezcua said.
Some employees of local food truck vendors Los Reyes Del Elote Asado and Cabanas Tacos told The Epoch Times they support the shutdowns. They said without electricity and the necessary equipment, illegitimate street vendors’ food runs the risk of being contaminated.
“It’s very different. We have regulations. We have electricity. We have water. We have many things. They have nothing. It’s not good,” said one worker with Cabanas Tacos, who preferred to remain anonymous.
According to city officials, they intend to continue inspecting food vendors “to ensure that those that are operating do so safely and with the proper health permits.”
When buying food from a street vendor, city officials advise members of the public to check that a health permit is displayed.
