The completion of a food handling program before starting a hot dog cart service is strongly advised. We also urge that you check with your county or local city health authority to determine the specific local codes that apply to vendor carts in your location, as these might differ from one place to the next.
Municipal health agencies frequently prohibit hot dog cart vendors who offer dairy-based condiments like mayonnaise, grated cheese, or even squeezed bottled cheese. Some health authorities would only allow condiments to be offered from a cart if they do not need to be refrigerated once they have been opened. Before starting operations, it is important to verify with your local health department to ensure that you comply with all applicable local codes. If any such perishable condiments are permitted, you must adhere to the health regulations to ensure that all these condiments stay in good health throughout your working day. If you are authorized to use refrigerated condiments, store them at or below the prescribed temperature (typically 41°F or 4°C or lower). To do so, you will require a thermometer to keep track of the temperature. One thing that may satisfy your hot dog cart health inspector is an ice bath underneath the condiment tray, which will keep condiments cold. You can also switch out the ice water throughout the day.
You must store food in clean, reusable containers that are well-sealed to prevent pests, dirt, foliage, and rain from getting into the containers. According to several health regulators, glass jars with screw-on lids are not suitable as serving containers. After the day, if any condiment containers get contaminated, you must thoroughly clean them before being replaced with new content. Alternatively, you could always supply condiments in those single-serving plastic single-serving containers. Whenever possible, store foods in a cabinet elevated above or below the ground or the floor. Among them are items that have been prepackaged, like certain condiments. Keep your condiments apart from your meats by storing them in a separate cooler or on racks below them. Keep your condiments away from any cleansers or chemicals to avoid contamination. All of these regulations are in place to ensure that the condiments do not become tainted in any way.