Here's How To Tell If You're At A Bad Food Truck

If you want to keep living your best food truck foodie life, all you really need to do is be observant. The next time you get in line at a mobile eatery, look for the following signs of a subpar food truck situation.

First things first — if you have a bad feeling about a food truck when you approach it, there's a super-simple way to tell if they've got their stuff together — ask to see their license. According to CNN, all food trucks are required by law to have one of those bad boys in hand before hitting the road. Chances are if they don't have one — and are therefore operating illegally — they're not going to stress over things like food safety regulations either.

And while asking to see a food truck's license probably isn't common practice, it's a right you shouldn't be ashamed to exercise. A food safety expert at the Center for the Science in Public Interest told CNN in 2013,

"You can actually ask to see the license. If they can't produce it, find another place to eat and call the local health department."

Would it be unfortunate if your favorite local food truck couldn't come up with anything but excuses when asked for a license? Sure. But you know what would be even more unfortunate? Winding up with food poisoning after scarfing down a dish prepared in unsanitary conditions.

Because meat comes from animals that carry bacteria, the proper handling and storage of meats on a food truck is especially important. Food trucks that fail to take a few precautions are setting themselves up for cross-contamination and, worse, sending customers away with foodborne illness.

During a routine food truck inspection in Butler County Ohio in 2016, the inspector found an area food truck had committed a critical violation — storing raw chicken above raw beef. According to the Journal-News, the inspector explained that when stored in a cooling unit,

"[The food truck should have stored] raw animal products in order of their required cooking temperatures to prevent contamination."

What does this mean for you? Well, if you're planning to indulge your carnivorous tendencies at a local food truck, you'll need to keep your eyes peeled. If you notice raw chicken stored above raw beef — or any raw meat mingling with anything else, for that matter — do your stomach a favor and grab lunch from another mobile eatery.

Watch the video to learn how to tell if you're at a bad food truck!

#FoodTruck #Foodies

No license | 0:10
Mingling meats | 0:58
Wrong temp | 1:44
Sitting out | 2:37
No gloves | 3:24
Unappetizing smells | 4:25
Grade A? | 5:00
Hairnets and hats | 6:01
A bug's home | 6:44
The food sucks | 7:48

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