Health apartment and random food stalls

[Anonymous]

MKKKAYYY KAREN!

[Anonymous]

For all the people shrieking about Hispanic panic, these street stalls are definitely illegal. We have food regulations for a reason. People may complain about onerous regulations governing F&B in this country but there's a reason they exist. Even if I don't patronize these illegal street stalls, they are still illegal. Someone who goes to all the trouble and expense to set up a legit business with proper oversight from county inspectors, like all the new Latino businesses all over Silver Spring, shouldn't be penalized by being held to a different standard than someone selling food out of their car trunk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the past year or so, there are more and more random food stalls sprinkled through Silver, Spring, Wheaton, and now Aspen Hill. These are prepared fruit stands/ snack stands. I know these are popular in Mexico and Central America and they are becoming popular here in Montgomery county (I can’t speak for the rest of the area, I haven’t seen them). The sellers in these food stalls have no way to wash their hands, there’s no oversight on how the food is prepared and the sanitation. How is it that the county and heath department hasn’t stepped in to shut them down or inspect them? Am I overthinking this?

That's what makes them so good. Where are they?

[Anonymous]

I live in Aspen Hill and while I haven’t stopped at any of the fruit and coconut stands (I’m anxious and I was raised by a microbiologist who instilled a deep fear of food borne illness), I welcome them being here. I see hardworking people earning a living, and good for them. Also nice to see other cultures besides my own - my kids are fascinated by the big sugar canes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're not overthinking it; yes these folks are trying to make money however they can, no it is unlikely to pass health dept standards. Depending on your risk tolerance, yes you should probably skip it.

That said, the worst food poisoning I ever got was from a Caesar salad at a TGIF's in college. Safest to cook at home, risks rise from there.

Are you concerned about the "rule breaking" of their presence in general? Risk to the community? These are just folks trying to make a living.

Op here and if I’m being honest, it’s both food safety but it bothers me that they aren’t going to the same process as a restaurant or a food truck. Everybody wants to make a living, I get that. I really do. But there is the right way to do it, and the wrong way to do it. Just think of all the time, expense and paperwork that a restaurant needs to go through to get their licenses for food, safety, sanitation, taxes, and what not. It’s not cool that some people just set up without having to go through the proper procedures.

When I got sick from salmonella, it was from a restaurant and it was due to improper food handling. I was in the hospital for a week and I was so sick. Never would I have thought that a food illness would be so dangerous. I can’t even imagine how filthy those food stands are. As good as their food looks and smells, cause I’ll give them that it looks very good, I think they’re actually a health danger.

These are just my thoughts and I haven’t called or reported anybody, but I hope that somebody takes notice and addresses these.

Just don’t eat there Karen!

So a “Karen” is a woman with thoughts and opinions that she hasn’t even acted on?!

Ok.

[Anonymous]

My niece worked in a food truck fruit smoothie place at a coastal town. Not only don't they wash the fruit, they don't even remove the sticky labels. Just all goes in the blender.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the past year or so, there are more and more random food stalls sprinkled through Silver, Spring, Wheaton, and now Aspen Hill. These are prepared fruit stands/ snack stands. I know these are popular in Mexico and Central America and they are becoming popular here in Montgomery county (I can’t speak for the rest of the area, I haven’t seen them). The sellers in these food stalls have no way to wash their hands, there’s no oversight on how the food is prepared and the sanitation. How is it that the county and heath department hasn’t stepped in to shut them down or inspect them? Am I overthinking this?

Contact the county health department and give them the location ASAP when you spot one. Unfortunately they likely won't get to it to inspect that day and the stall will vanish only to be set up somewhere different the next day. But until people start reporting to the health department that they see these stalls proliferating, and until people complain about the obvious lack of sanitary food handling--the stalls will just keep going. The county works for you--press them to do their job. You are not overthinking this, but YOU need to step up and report what you see to the county health inspection office.

You'll get scoffed at by some here, but those people will never have known someone who was truly sickened by unsanitary food prep. Time off work, lost wages, medical bills, sometimes serious complications can happen. There are good reasons why food vendors are supposed to get inspected.

Isn’t this a very busybody, patronizing attitude? Presumably other adults can decide for themselves whether or bit they want to risk it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the past year or so, there are more and more random food stalls sprinkled through Silver, Spring, Wheaton, and now Aspen Hill. These are prepared fruit stands/ snack stands. I know these are popular in Mexico and Central America and they are becoming popular here in Montgomery county (I can’t speak for the rest of the area, I haven’t seen them). The sellers in these food stalls have no way to wash their hands, there’s no oversight on how the food is prepared and the sanitation. How is it that the county and heath department hasn’t stepped in to shut them down or inspect them? Am I overthinking this?

Contact the county health department and give them the location ASAP when you spot one. Unfortunately they likely won't get to it to inspect that day and the stall will vanish only to be set up somewhere different the next day. But until people start reporting to the health department that they see these stalls proliferating, and until people complain about the obvious lack of sanitary food handling--the stalls will just keep going. The county works for you--press them to do their job. You are not overthinking this, but YOU need to step up and report what you see to the county health inspection office.

You'll get scoffed at by some here, but those people will never have known someone who was truly sickened by unsanitary food prep. Time off work, lost wages, medical bills, sometimes serious complications can happen. There are good reasons why food vendors are supposed to get inspected.

Isn’t this a very busybody, patronizing attitude? Presumably other adults can decide for themselves whether or bit they want to risk it?

Good. Let's get rid of restaurant and salon regulation. Adults can decide for themselves if they want to accept the risk of patronizing these establishments.

[Anonymous]

You can ask them if they’ve passed a health inspection. Graciously ask them where the fruit/food is prepared. If they’re Hispanic, I’d do my best to speak Spanish. The stall owners actually do care about their businesses. If the fruit/food looks delicious, as others say, it’s likely fresher than you’d find in a market. Fresh and inexpensive means fast turnover.

I think owners initially set up food stalls to feed their own communities. It apparently became appealing to the masses. How do you know they’re not washing their hands? You don’t need a sink to do so. Are they wearing gloves? Is someone else handling the cash exchange? How is it any different than going to small local farm stands? Do you ask framers about arsenic in their soil? Because it can take more than a decade for soil to turnover. And that big organic sign means nothing. Ya know, we Americans don’t hold the gold standard for food preparation and quality. We have 5 senses for a reason. Most of the time, it saves us from food borne illness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My niece worked in a food truck fruit smoothie place at a coastal town. Not only don't they wash the fruit, they don't even remove the sticky labels. Just all goes in the blender.

this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can ask them if they’ve passed a health inspection. Graciously ask them where the fruit/food is prepared. If they’re Hispanic, I’d do my best to speak Spanish. The stall owners actually do care about their businesses. If the fruit/food looks delicious, as others say, it’s likely fresher than you’d find in a market. Fresh and inexpensive means fast turnover.

I think owners initially set up food stalls to feed their own communities. It apparently became appealing to the masses. How do you know they’re not washing their hands? You don’t need a sink to do so. Are they wearing gloves? Is someone else handling the cash exchange?

How is it any different than going to small local farm stands? Do you ask framers about arsenic in their soil? Because it can take more than a decade for soil to turnover. And that big organic sign means nothing. Ya know, we Americans don’t hold the gold standard for food preparation and quality. We have 5 senses for a reason. Most of the time, it saves us from food borne illness.

Do you even know what these stalls look like? It’s one or two people running it from the back of a van or car. No bathrooms. No gloves. Nothing. They handle the food, take your cash, give change and move on to the next person. 0 sanitation.

If annyone is ok with this then great! Let’s abolish the fda and all food sanitation government departments. There’s no need for the health department, or anyone else with oversight on food preparation.

[Anonymous]

Do you even know what these stalls look like? It’s one or two people running it from the back of a van or car. No bathrooms. No gloves. Nothing. They handle the food, take your cash, give change and move on to the next person. 0 sanitation.

If annyone is ok with this then great! Let’s abolish the fda and all food sanitation government departments. There’s no need for the health department, or anyone else with oversight on food preparation

[Anonymous]

I've worked in the restaurant industry so it's ingrained in me to make balanced risk calculations when it comes to consumables. I don't partake in fruit stands or most food trucks, for that matter. Basically anything without an open kitchen is suspect.

That said, I wouldn't go around reporting them. This is darwinisn-adjacent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you even know what these stalls look like? It’s one or two people running it from the back of a van or car. No bathrooms. No gloves. Nothing. They handle the food, take your cash, give change and move on to the next person. 0 sanitation.

If annyone is ok with this then great! Let’s abolish the fda and all food sanitation government departments. There’s no need for the health department, or anyone else with oversight on food preparation

Think of all the unemployment you will create.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in Silver Spring 20 years. Where are these fresh fruit salad vendors of which you speak? Never seen one. This sounds like Hispanic panic to me.

I see them often in the parking lot of the Korean Korner/Unique at the Randolph/Viers Mill intersection.