Unpermitted Food Vendor
What is an Unpermitted Food Vendor?
Unpermitted food vendors are people who are selling food on a cart, table, back of the car trunk, via social media, or from their home without a permit to operate from the Lewis County Public Health & Social Services - Environmental Health Division. The Washington State Retail Food Code requires that all individuals who provide food to the public obtain a permit to operate.
When you buy meals online, you gamble with your health and safety. Unpermitted food vendors typically use kitchens that have not been inspected and consumers don’t know if the vendor is following standard food safety practices. These standards protect everyone from foodborne illnesses like norovirus, salmonella, and E. coli.
Common issues in food preparation that increase the risk of foodborne illness includes:
- Improper food storage which can cause spoilage or contamination.
- Food kept at temperatures that can allow for bacteria and other organisms to grow and cause illness.
- Food can be reused, improperly cooled and reheated multiple times.
- Food preparers may not have access to a handwashing station or restroom and may resume food preparation without washing their hands.
- Poor sanitation due to garbage, debris and discarded food accumulating on food preparation surfaces or ground.
If you suspect you have a foodborne illness, report it to us right away. Make a food complaint here
How can people sell food made at home legally?
The Cottage Food Law allows sellers to make certain baked goods—like cookies and cupcakes—in their home kitchens to sell directly to the public. The Washington State Department of Agriculture has a list of licensed cottage food operators
To sell other food items a Lewis County Food Permit is required, and the food needs to be made in a permitted food establishment.
Rent a clean, commercially licensed space, such as a Commissary Kitchen. Many offer kitchen equipment, work and prep stations, dry storage, and cold storage, and more, serving all of your food-based business needs. Reach out to our Environmental Health Food and Environmental Health Services Section to obtain an approved food vending permit.