Enhancing Community Food Safety Awareness: Street Vendors Presented by: Terrance Powell, REHS Hector Dela Cruz, REHS, M.S. Los Angeles County Environmental Health Community Awareness: Street Vending Results Year 2000 LAC Health Survey 48% of LAC residents seeking care for intestinal illness are Hispanic 46% of adult Latinos do not have health insurance 33% of Latino children do not have health insurance Page 1
Year 2001 EH Survey 7% of Los Angeles County (LAC) residents claim to have suffered an intestinal illness 44% of that figure were Hispanic only 3% reported it Unlicensed Food Vendors High-risk Lack of basic tenets of proper food safety Pervasive In many LAC Latino Communities High Risk Lack ability to wash hands No restrooms Food from unapproved sources e.g. prepared at home under dubious conditions Food stored outside no means to control temp. i.e. in cars/vans during peak of summer, in garages Lack of adequate food safety knowledge Unsanitary conditions Page 2
Unlicensed Food Vendors High-risk Lack of basic tenets of proper food safety Pervasive In many LAC Latino Communities Pervasive Many question enforcement Why are you picking on them? They re just trying to make a living. Why don t you bust the drug dealers down the street? The food they sell tastes good. Pervasive Community and Consumers have empathy for vendors Food provided is a reminder of home country Idea that vendors are using this opportunity to better themselves / improve their lives Do not equate food consumption with risks associated with food borne illnesses Suspicious of enforcement efforts Equate food safety protection with overall law enforcement in neighborhoods (e.g. immigration) Page 3
Unlicensed Food Vendors Patrons Represent high-risk demographic groupings Estimate Unlicensed vendors exceeds licensed mobile food facilities Unlicensed Food Vendors Traditional approach Enforcement sweeps with police escort Dispose food Impound equipment Legal action Typical results Community resistance/outrage Lack of identification abscond Abandoned equipment Tenuous support from DA s, CA s, & Judges Education and enforcement Utilize services from existing units CTS and VIP Goal Reduce the risk of food borne illness associated with the consumption of food prepared/sold by an unlicensed food vendor through education and enforcement Page 4
Educational Component Executed by CTS NFSEM Children, grades K-6 K 6 at schools identified with a high prevalence of unlicensed food vending Parents of those children Spanish & English 40 minute assembly presentation K-3 & 4-6 presentations NFSEM theme Basic tenets of food safety Dangers of unlicensed food vending Differences between licensed and unlicensed vending How to identify licensed vs. unlicensed Lead tainted candy How to contact the EH Page 5
40 minute assembly presentation K-3 & 4-6 presentations NFSEM theme Basic tenets of food safety Dangers of unlicensed food vending Differences between licensed and unlicensed vending How to identify licensed vs. unlicensed Lead tainted candy How to contact the EH 40 minute assembly presentation K-3 & 4-6 presentations NFSEM theme Basic tenets of food safety Dangers of unlicensed food vending Differences between licensed and unlicensed vending How to identify licensed vs. unlicensed Lead tainted candy How to contact the EH Page 6
40 minute assembly presentation K-3 & 4-6 presentations NFSEM theme Basic tenets of food safety Dangers of unlicensed food vending Differences between licensed and unlicensed vending How to identify licensed vs. unlicensed Lead tainted candy How to contact the EH Page 7
Student packets Food safety booklet reinforces NFSEM theme & basic tenets of food safety Bulletins, Book covers, Pencils, and Book marks all containing food vending information Lead-tainted candy bulletin Magnets with the 24-hour EH hotline Key chains with food borne illness reporting line Stickers of food safety characters, and crayons Page 8
Parent Kits Bulletins (food vending, domestic food safety, lead- tainted candy), Bumper stickers, Key chains, and Refrigerator thermometers Teacher s Packet Lesson plan CD, Bulletins, Lead-tainted candy classroom poster, Key chains School Packet Glow Germ kit, Lead-tainted candy cafeteria posters, Interactive games Enforcement Component Executed by VIP Goal: reduce illegal food vending activity in areas directly adjacent to identified elementary schools Enforcement Component 2-hour Sweep Operations Same day as presentation Confiscate and/or impound of food, equipment, utensils, and carts Page 9
Results Increased awareness: Education Target Population Students Parents Schools Teachers Stated Objective 10,000 300 20 408 Total Number Reached 15,119 264 23 746 Results Enforcement 22 inspections 20 equipment impounds 20 equipment condemnations 5,524 pounds of food condemned What s Left? Pre / Post Test Hand Washing: + 2.5% Bacteria: + 22.5 % Unlicensed Vendors: + 17.5% Lead Tainted Candy: + 5.0% 5 A Day : + 25.0% Looking to the future Schools provide healthy alternatives Page 10
Questions Page 11