Purpose: The objective of this study was to identify common food safety violations among mobile food vendors from three Texas communities.
Methods: Inspection reports of mobile food vendors from 2006 through the spring of 2015 (n=210) were obtained from Brazos, Harris, and Tarrant counties. Reports were coded by violation and level of compliance (1=In Compliance, 2=Not Applicable, 3=Not Observed, 4=Corrected On Site, 5=Out Of Compliance) for statistical analysis.
Results: Common violations identified included lack of soap and towels for hand washing (16%), lack of access to hand washing facilities (15%), and lack of food thermometers or the presence of thermometers that were not accurate or properly calibrated (15%). In addition, 13% of the reports identified either a lack of an approved water supply, or insufficient capacity, temperature range or pressure. More than 10% of the reports identified food contact surfaces, including equipment and utensils that were not in good repair. Cross-contamination and lack of good hygienic practices among the employees were noted in 8% and 6% of the reports, respectively.
Significance: This retrospective study of inspection reports demonstrates that mobile food vendors are not immune to the same food safety challenges that traditional food vendors face. In addition, this survey highlights unique challenges that mobile food vendors must overcome in order to reduce the risk of a foodborne illness outbreak. More research in this area needs to be conducted so food safety educators can effectively develop targeted training programs to strengthen food safety practices and mitigate consumer risk to foodborne illness.