Hot Dog Cart Health Department Help

For a generalized easy to read summary of health guidelines for operating a hot dog cart, visit the Operations and Maintenance section of this Business Manual.

Meeting and maintaining local health standards for the hot dog cart is a major part of the day to day procedures. For this reason we have included much of that information as Operating Guidelines. However, the exact requirements for a vending cart in each different county will have to be obtained from that particular County Health Department. Exact things such as how many sinks are required on a hot dog cart and what foods can be served are specified locally.

There is some excellent online help for operators of hot dog stands. The following is a list of some key sites that will help you to contact your local county health department, determine local codes and the permits required. Some of the sites have been included because they had excellent information for the hot dog cart business in a well laid out and easy to read and understand format. This information is designed to help you navigate the labyrinth of information facing you as a food service vendor.

You will need to find the specific guidelines for your region governing mobile food cart vendors including food items you are allowed to sell and the laws and health guidelines for your portion of the food industry. You will also need to contact specific personnel to apply for your health department permit, have your hot dog cart inspected for conformity and perhaps even take a course in food safety or preparation.

Federal and State Health web sites will give you information on laws and general guidelines on things like personal hygiene, equipment sanitation requirements, and safe food handling and preparation.

Some areas may require that you have in place an HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) program for your hot dog cart business. We have prepared a special HACCP Tutorial to help you understand and meet this requirement if necessary.

County and Municipal Governments actually administer the applications for permits, training and inspections for food cart vendors and their equipment.

For finding specific information on hot dog carts on these web sites often the best thing to do is to find the A-Z index or do a search using key words or phrases such as “hot dog cart”; “mobile food vendor”; “itinerant food vending”; “food safety”; and “health permits”.

For Hot Dog Stand Operators in the USA:

  • Health Guide USA – This site is a huge index of all the county health departments in every state in the USA.
  • FDA – Food and Drug Administration – It’s a big site! Go the the A-Z index. Then to the “S” in the Index. It provides a list of links to all the various State health departments.
  • Food Safety Organization – Another big site. Lots of info. Click on the button for “Federal and State Gov’t Agencies”. Then go down to the heading entitled “State and Local Gov’t Agencies”. If your state isn’t listed click on the first subheading “Overall Listing of State, County and Territory Listings”. There you will find a comprehensive contact list.
  • Pro Food Safety Organization – Information for foodservice professionals in 14 languages!
  • USDA – US Department of Agriculture – Excellent information on safe food handling, meat storage guidelines, and background info on the meat products you will be selling. Just type “hot dog” in the search box in the upper left corner of the home page.
  • CFSAN – FDA – Another large site with tons of information. Go to the “Special Interest” area in the lower right corner. Check out “Starting a Food Business”. For detailed info on laws and codes check out “Fed/State Food Programs” go to “Retail Food Protection” click on “Regulations, Codes and Code Interpretation”.
  • L.A. Public Health – Click on “Food Safety”. Many other useful links.
  • Illinois State Health Department – This site has some excellent info on food safety and printable charts on food temperature requirements.
  • Health Canada – The Canadian Federal Government Health site (Health Canada). In English or French. Go to the A-Z index to “F”. Click on “Food Safety”, and then click on “Safe Food Handling”.
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) – In English or French. To find your local food health authority anywhere in Canada follow these instructions: Click on “Food”, then “Retail Food”, then “Information for Restauranteurs and Food Service Operators”, then “Local Inspection Authority”. Also go to A-Z Index, Then click on “Food”, then go to “F” for “Food Safety Tips”. Good info at “Barbecuing”.
  • Niagara Regional Health Department – This site has some really good plain language tips for a hot dog cart operator. Click on “Living”. Click on “Public Health” on the drop down menu. Then click on the “A-Z Index”. Scroll down to the heading “Hot Dog Cart Requirements”. Good info!
  • Toronto City Health Guidelines – Click on “Health” under the heading Living in Toronto. Click on the A-Z Index. Scroll down to the heading “Hot Dog Carts – Requirements for”. Excellent information in a practical easy to read format!

For Canadian Hot Dog Stand Operators

  • Health Canada – The Canadian Federal Government Health site (Health Canada). In English or French. Go to the A-Z index to “F”. Click on “Food Safety”, and then click on “Safe Food Handling”.
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) – In English or French. To find your local food health authority anywhere in Canada follow these instructions: Click on “Food”, then “Retail Food”, then “Information for Restauranteurs and Food Service Operators”, then “Local Inspection Authority”. Also go to A-Z Index, Then click on “Food”, then go to “F” for “Food Safety Tips”. Good info at “Barbecuing”.
  • Niagara Regional Health Department – This site has some really good plain language tips for a hot dog cart operator. Click on “Living”. Click on “Public Health” on the drop down menu. Then click on the “A-Z Index”. Scroll down to the heading “Hot Dog Cart Requirements”. Good info!
  • Toronto City Health Guidelines – Click on “Health” under the heading Living in Toronto. Click on the A-Z Index. Scroll down to the heading “Hot Dog Carts – Requirements for”. Excellent information in a practical easy to read format!

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