Want to know how Ottawa County regulates its food trucks? Here's how inspections work.

OTTAWA COUNTY — From handwashing sinks to water temperatures, inspection reports for food trucks in Ottawa County offer a glimpse into how the health department monitors mobile food vendors — despite a technical issue temporarily limiting public access to some records.

The Ottawa County Department of Public Health makes the county’s restaurant and food truck inspection reports available on its website. Site visitors are able to see violations recorded by inspectors, in addition to other licensing details. 

Currently, the inspection webpage is under review due to a technical issue brought to the health department’s attention in the process of composing this article. Although some inspection reports are publicly available, many food trucks presently do not have viewable inspection files.

Alison Clark, public information officer for the OCDPH, said the department is working to resolve the technical issue as soon as possible so that site viewers can access all inspection reports and see the most up-to-date information.

The inspection webpage lists 47 food truck operators, 42 of which have accessible reports on file at the time of publication. The five operations that have been inspected but are currently hidden by site software are Donna’s Donuts, J & N Concessions, Nut Shell, Dutch Treat Popper #1 and Pizza Plug, the latter of which is no longer operational.

According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, trucks can take the form of transitory food units and mobile food establishments. Transitory units are self-contained, whereas mobile establishments must return to a licensed commissary kitchen every 24 hours to complete operations, such as dishwashing and food preparation. 

Clark said that food truck inspections are different from fixed establishments in that they are mobile and have less space for storage and preparation.

“They can be in one location one day, and in a completely different location the next day,” Clark said. “Many of them are full kitchens on wheels, but most of them have smaller menus due to limited abilities to cook, cool and hold food safely.”

Based on the available inspection reports, the most common violations include low water temperatures that risk improper sanitation, lack of quaternary ammonia test strips — which measure the exact concentration of ammonium compounds in sanitizing solutions — and the absence of air gaps on drainage lines.

The OCDPH also lists the absence of food thermometers and hand-washing sink access as commonplace violations.

The county’s environmental public health specialists work with the person in charge at a facility to correct violations, with proof often being emailed to the inspector. Food truck operators are given a specified date by which to complete corrections. 

Clark added that inspection reports describe conditions observed on the day and time of the inspection, and may not represent the “overall, long-term condition” of a food truck.

In order to obtain an operating license — which must be renewed annually — a food truck must complete a plan review and pay the required fee. According to Clark, a plan review ensures the business meets the requirements of the Michigan Food Law Act 92 of 2000 and that food can be safely served to the public. 

Once approved, a pre-opening inspection is scheduled. This type of inspection is to make sure that what is observed by inspectors matches the approved plan. The food truck receives "Approved to Operate" status and is licensed if the approved plan has been followed, all equipment is operational and there are no violations. Operators must submit a notice of intent to operate at least four business days before serving food or attending an event.

The other two types of inspections are classified as follow-up and routine. Follow-up inspections may take place to verify the correction of violations. Paid, routine inspections take place twice during the licensing year upon the request of food truck operators, spaced at least 30 days apart. 

“Food trucks are usually inspected by request, and can be inspected by environmental public health specialists in whatever county they operate, meaning they might have their first inspection in Ottawa County and the second in another county,” Clark said.

While required to have two inspections each operating year, currently, only five food trucks on the OCDPH website are listed under "routine" inspections. The rest are categorized as pre-opening or follow-up inspections with proof of corrective action. 

Clark said this is the result of reports not showing on the site, and that all food trucks have had inspections performed twice annually.

Some of the county’s food trucks also do not show reports on file for numerous years, with one facility’s most recent report, due to technical issues, being a routine inspection, dated 2016.

The OCDPH said that all operators have been inspected recently, and reiterated that the department is working to repair the glitch.

Clark noted that community members who are concerned about conditions at a food truck or other establishment can submit a report through the county’s website.

— Contact ONN reporter Hailey Hentz at hhentz@ottawanewsnetwork.org.