Fairfield street food vendors cited after inspections find unsafe practices, police say

Multiple unpermitted street food vendors in Fairfield were cited for violations last week after inspections found them selling food unsafe for public consumption, authorities said.

In a social media post, the Fairfield Police Department said its code enforcement unit worked with Solano County Public Health staff to conduct late night inspections of the unpermitted vendors on on August 12, 13, and 14. These inspections resulted in citations to six vendors selling food without permits and the towing of one vehicle for vehicle code violations, police said.

Among the public health violations were the absence of handwashing stations, the use of the same water for handwashing and cleaning later used to cook food in, mixing raw and cooked food to be served to the public, lack of refrigeration, improper food temperatures, and food being stored and prepared in unsanitary conditions, according to the press release.

Police said the code enforcement unit has worked with the county's Public Health and Economic Development departments on outreach and education in the community and to support licensed street food vendors. Following the outreach and distribution of information in both English and Spanish, the police department says all of the county's food vendors are fully compliant with required health and safety regulations.

"The ongoing challenge comes from out of town vendors who routinely set up without refrigeration, sanitation, proper food storage, health permits, or business licenses," the police press release said. "Recent inspections have uncovered serious risks. When food is determined to be unsafe for public consumption, Solano County Public Health has the authority, just as they do with restaurants, to dispose of it to protect public health."

Police said the code enforcement unit would continue to provide guidance and opportunities for compliance, but would take enforcement actions to deal with unsafe practices and vendors who repeatedly refuse to follow health and safety standards.

Consumers can confirm the food vendor or food truck they buy from hold valid permits by checking for registration stickers from the city and county.