Clark County Public Health is warning consumers to avoid unpermitted food carts.
Last month, a number of them began selling hot dogs in the parking lot of the RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater following concerts or events. These carts cannot properly store or prepare food, as they lack refrigeration, clean water and handwashing facilities, according to a news release issued by Public Health Tuesday.
“These unpermitted food carts are dangerous and putting people at risk for foodborne illness,” Public Health Director Alan Melnick said in the news release.
According to Public Health, the carts are transported in vans with out-of-state license plates before or during the concerts, and vendors begin serving hot dogs as people leave the venue. Vendors have ignored guidance from Public Health’s Food Safety team, which is now working with Live Nation and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office to find other solutions, according to the news release.
“Storing foods at the appropriate temperatures — keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot — is critical to prevent germs that cause foodborne illness from growing,” according to the agency. “Food must also be cooked thoroughly to the appropriate temperatures to kill any germs that have grown. And handwashing is essential to prevent spreading germs from hands to the food people are eating.”
