What to Know
- Food vendors will soon receive points for violations at their food safety inspections, and their total score will lead to an A, B or C grade
- That grade will be posted on the cart or truck, just like it appears outside NYC restaurants; the rules go into effect in December
- Some food cart owners say they support the policy because it will help change misconceptions about the carts being unsanitary
Food carts and trucks will soon receive letter grades similar to the grades given to city restaurants, health officials say.
Starting in December, every food vendor will receive points for violations during their inspections, and their total inspection score will correspond to an A, B or C letter grade, which will be posted on the outside of the trucks, officials say.
Officials say they will also attach a tracking device to carts to keep track of them. It will take about two years for all carts and trucks to be graded, similar to the rollout for restaurants, the city says.
“Letter grades on food carts and trucks will help New Yorkers see how these businesses fared on their latest inspection, right when they want to place an order,” Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot said in a statement. “Just as diners appreciate letter grading in restaurants, we expect this program to be popular among customers of food carts and trucks.”
Ahmad Ali from The Halal Guys food cart says he and other owners support the new grading process because it will help change misconceptions about food carts being unsanitary.
