Illegal food confiscated from vendors

Art Nadler

Friday, June 25, 1999 | 10:17 a.m.

In its never-ending battle with illegal food vendors, the Clark County Health District busted three street operations this month.

Galvanized containers of corn on the cob, blocks of cheese, various liquid drinks and flavored shaved ice were confiscated from an establishment at 2301 Berkley Ave.

Lonnie Empey, environmental health supervisor for the district, told the board that a 27-yard-long Dumpster was filled with the illegal food.

Another residence at 5781 Sea Breeze St. netted 22 illegal push carts and a ton of ice cream. Two half-ton pickup trucks were also loaded up with various food products from a residence at 2805 E. Stewart Ave.

Empey said 20 citations were issued to vendors for operating without a business license. The raid was done in conjunction with Metro Police, the Clark County Fire Department and the cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas business licensing offices.

"The blocks of cheese had flies all over them," Empey said of the improperly stored food at one residence. He said the corn in galvanized buckets was probably contaminated from chemical reactions with the metal.

This was the fifth raid the health district conducted since May 15 with law enforcement agencies and various city entities. Last month, 900 pounds of food and drinks were confiscated from push carts in North Las Vegas and two vans in the 28th Street and Bonanza Road areas.

Those raids netted 500 pounds of ice cream, four 50-gallon drums of corn on the cob, 150 pounds of mangos, 12 cases of strawberries and 100 pounds of condiments.

"It's a situation where people think they can do here what they did in Mexico," Empey said. "Our whole goal is not to put people out of business, but to protect the public."

Empey blamed part of the problem on people coming to Las Vegas from Los Angeles County and Mexico. There, he said, food street vending restrictions aren't as stringent as in Clark County.

"The food there (in Los Angeles) can't meet the health district's standards here," Empey said.

But Kenneth Marks, chief of environmental health with the Department of Health Services in Los Angeles County, disagrees. He said even though Los Angeles allows some push carts, they can only sell pre-packaged food and must be licensed.

Corn on the cob, chili and taco carts are illegal, he said, and are confiscated. No food can be prepared from a cart, with the exception of a hot dog, which is pre-cooked, Marks said.

During May Los Angeles County inspectors and law enforcement authorities conducted 12 street raids in which 214 vendors were busted, Marks said, noting that 10,000 pounds of food was confiscated.

"It's a cheap and easy way to make money," Marks said. "A large number of customers who deal with the illegal cart vendors are of Hispanic background."

Both Empey and Marks agree that illegal push carts are a growing problem.