Similar to the grading system used for traditional restaurants and other food establishments, food carts and trucks will be inspected by health officials and given a letter grade based on their sanitation.
“Every cart or truck will be getting (a) newly designed decal, and when the inspector finishes the inspection, an ‘A’ looks just like the restaurant A,” Corrine Schiff, Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Health, shared.
New York food carts and trucks must post their letter grade in plain view for customers to see when placing an order.
“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.
New York grading system to help customer experience
“Just as diners appreciate letter grading in restaurants, we expect this program to be popular among customers of food carts and trucks.”
Health officials plan to implement the new grading system for more than 5,000 food trucks and carts beginning in December.
Tracking devices will also be attached to each truck and cart so that health inspectors can keep track of who has been graded.
So far owners view the new system as a positive for their business with the hope that the new system will eliminate any preconceived notions of their truck or cart.
“I feel like I don’t go to ones I haven’t heard of before, because I don’t want to eat unhealthy food, if I knew right when I saw it that it was gonna be clean, then I’d probably be more down,” resident Francesca Fasullo told ABC NY.
