Over the past three months, Maricopa County Environmental Services has increased enforcement against unpermitted mobile street food vendors after reports of foodborne illness were linked to certain operations. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors instructed Environmental Services to take further steps, which included seizing spoiled meat, issuing citations to owners, and shutting down some unlicensed vendors.
Between May and July, the department investigated 111 complaints and conducted 55 food seizures. These actions resulted in the removal of more than 7,000 pounds of unsafe meat. Officials stated that they first attempted to educate and collaborate with vendors before taking these measures.
The focus has been on vendors selling “tacos al pastor,” where meat is cooked on a vertical rotisserie known as a “trompo.” When these setups are found outdoors using temporary equipment such as popup tents or folding tables, they are often unpermitted and can pose health risks.
Authorities emphasized that most street food vendors follow safe practices and should not be confused with those implicated in recent illness reports. Permitted vendors must comply with requirements including handwashing, maintaining proper food temperatures, and sourcing ingredients from approved suppliers.
The public is advised to purchase food only from permitted vendors to reduce the risk of illness. Those who have concerns about a vendor or become ill after eating at a street establishment are encouraged to contact the department at (602) 506-6616 or visit Maricopa.gov/Enviro for electronic complaint submission.
A local small business owner shared his experience obtaining a license through Maricopa County Environmental Services: Link.
Maricopa County continues efforts in other areas such as education. For example, during the 2023-24 school year, 36% of students in grades 3 through 8 passed the mathematics section of the AASA exam according to data from https://www.azed.gov/. In addition, 33.9% of high schoolers successfully passed the mathematics section of the ACT during that same period (https://www.azed.gov/).
