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MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. - Maricopa County has seized more than 7,000 pounds of what they say is unsafe meat in a recent crackdown on unlicensed street vendors.
What we know:
The county's Environmental Services Department says it has received more than 100 complaints in the past three months from customers who became sick after eating at pop-up taco stands across the Valley.
Officials believe 20 to 30 of these stands, many of which came from California last year, are operating without permits.
According to Andy Linton, the county's Environmental Services director, the vendors are difficult to stop as they simply move to a new location after being caught.
A distinguishing feature of the stands is a vertical rotisserie with a spit of meat, typically for al pastor tacos, left out in the open.
"If someone has a permit that they're displaying, you can be assured that they have the proper equipment for handwashing, for keeping foods at the proper temperature, and that they have the required training to be able to reduce that risk of foodborne illness to their customers," Linton said.
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Doing Business the Right Way:
Following the rules is critical for customer safety and business reputation, says Victor Mayorga, who owns the licensed food business Chilakil To Go.
"Everyone is looking for a living. I understand, but you do it the right way, especially not putting people at risk," Mayorga said.
He said he opened his mobile food business a few years ago after he started in a Home Depot parking lot with all the necessary permits. He later upgraded to a food trailer, which he now operates in Avondale.
"With all the permits, we started out of a Home Depot parking lot," he said. "After a couple of months with the food cart, we decided to upgrade to a food trailer, and after that, it was back in February of 2023, and now the rest is history."
Mayorga also owns a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Glendale.