OGDEN -- Tempted to buy food from folks selling their own tasty treats out of the back of their trunk in store parking lots?
You might want to reconsider, unless you like taking chances with your health.
Health department officials aren't worried about licensed vendors, such as those in the downtown area surrounding the Municipal Building.
Rather, their focus is on the unlicensed vendors who often move from spot to spot and sell food out of their vehicles.
"Our concern is that we do not know where these foods are being prepared," said Michelle Cooke, food safety program manager and licensed environ-mental health scientist at the Weber-Morgan Health Department.
"Most likely, they are preparing these foods in a home kitchen. It is impossible to know what sort of sanitation exists in these homes."
For instance, Cooke said, vermin, insects or animals could be crawling on the counters.
If meat is used, where was it purchased? Was it USDA inspected? How hot are the temperatures being maintained on the foods?
"They must have hot or cold holding equipment, not found in most cars or vans, to maintain exact temperatures to keep bacteria from growing," Cooke said.
"Bacterial and parasitic food-borne illness are the risks that people are taking when purchasing these products."
According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 76 million people suffer from food illnesses each year. Of those, 300,000 are hospitalized and approximately 5,000 die.
"The thing that concerns me is, if we do get an outbreak, we do not have any way of tracking this food to prevent more people from getting sick," Cooke said.
"Is it coming from just a small portion of the food prepared, or are the ingredients coming from a supplier that services millions of people?"
Cooke said the health department receives complaints about individuals trying to sell homemade food to people in grocery store and other parking lots.
"If we see people selling products on the street, we try to talk to them and explain that it's a public safety issue," Cooke said.
"We embargo the food for five days. If they can show where the product was made and it is from an approved facility, we will release that product back to them.
"So far, no one has come to reclaim their product."
Many times, language barriers prevent potential buyers from finding out where food was prepared and whether proper temperatures have been maintained to keep food safe.
In the interests of safety, Cooke urges the public to avoid buying food sold on the street.
"You are gambling with your health on whether this product is safe to eat.
"At worst, some forms of E. coli and some of these other illnesses can be fatal or develop into a permanent condition you will live with for the rest of your life," Cooke said.
"At best, you could become really, really ill for several hours or days."
Cooke said those approached by someone selling food on the street or in parking lots should contact the store manager, the local police or the health department.
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