Food trucks are becoming more and more popular, growing at a rate of 15.8% each year since 2018. Currently, there are over 47,000 food trucks operating in the country with California, Texas and Florida having the highest number of food trucks.
The FDA does not regulate mobile food trucks — they are regulated by state and local entities. It is state and local health inspectors who are responsible for flagging health code violations on either a scheduled visit or due to consumer complaints.
Food truck operators are responsible for assuring their mobile businesses adhere to those state and local codes for providing safe, healthy food items. These codes address a number of areas including the cleanliness of the food prep area, temperature control of food items, complete records of food purchases and proper storage of food items.
Food trucks have limited space while cleanliness is paramount. It is even more critical to keep surfaces cleaned throughout the shift to control cross-contamination.
Aerosol products are ideal for keeping food trucks clean as they take up less space than other types of packaging. Also, they don’t need to be diluted or measured.
It is recommended at the end of each shift, the following cleaning tasks are completed:
– Brush the grill (however, if changing food on the grill, such as meat to fish, brush with every new item)
– Filter the deep fryer oil and clean out food crumbs and debris.
– Clean the microwave (inside and out).
– Wash and sanitize cutting boards, service window ledge, cooking line and prep tables.
At the end of each day:
– Clean the can opener.
– Wash the hood filters by hand or in the dishwasher.
– Empty and clean the water wells.
Weekly:
– Empty coolers and sanitize them.
– Clean the coffee machine.
– Clean the oven.
Monthly:
– Conduct a deep fryer boil-out.
