Hygiene inspectors pour bleach over taco seller’s food because it was ‘unsafe’

Health officials in the US have been filmed dousing a taco street vendor’s food in bleach.

Food safety inspectors in Denver, Colorado, were recorded with the bleach as they shut down an unlicensed taco seller over the weekend.

A video of the inspection soon went viral on social media, with Denver officials defending the practice.

The confrontation unfolded on Saturday evening when health inspectors approached a food stand operated by Tacos Tacolorado.

The vendor had previously had its food thrown out over breaching safety rules, The Denver Post reports.

Inspectors asked that the food be destroyed, but the vendor instead placed some of the taco ingredients into the back of a truck.

This led one of the officials to pour bleach into the remaining food, according to a spokeswoman for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.

The inspector poured the toxic substance into various plastic containers of food across the table.

Although rare, health officials do use bleach as a tool to stop vendors selling food that could be unsafe.

Danica Lee, Denver’s director of public health investigations, said: ‘It is a tool that we use not really often, because we prefer to use different methods, but from time to time, it is necessary.’

Kitty litter is also used to destroy potentially unsafe foods and stop it from being consumed.

Denver officials said Tacolorado’s staff had twice been approached in late October and handed cease-and-desist letters.

More than 65kg of meat was thrown away during those two visits.

Inspection reports claim the vendor failed to have handwashing stations, had improper sanitisation and had temperature concerns.

How do you protect yourself from food poisoning while abroad?

Here are the top tips from food safety expert and nutrition lecturer Swrajit Sarkar.

1. Choose hot food hot and cold food cold. Do not reheat any food.
2. Try to avoid raw foods and salads.
3. If you are washing food, make sure it is from bottled water you can trust.
4. Think about the hygiene of the food vendor you are visiting. are they washing hands or using gloves? If you cannot see how the food is prepared, do not eat it.
5. Avoid tap water and ice.
6. Avoid someone who is vomiting as food borne illnesses can travel 6 feet (2 metres).
7. Look for local advisories about what to eat before travelling.

Why do Brits often get food poisoning while on holiday?

According to Swrajit Sarkar, senior lecturer in Nutrition at City St George’s University, British holidaymakers often get an upset stomach on holiday

He told Metro: ‘Brits lack the immunity to bacteria in foreign countries which we are not exposed to. Even a mild bacteria can make you feel really unwell.

‘The UK follows food safety to quite a high standard. We have physiologically adapted to a very sterile environment.’

One of the most overlooked factors that can cause food poisoning is water quality, the lecturer explains.

He said: ‘The most important thing for food-borne diseases is water quality.

‘If places selling food do not have proper facilities for washing up and sanitation, that will increase the risk.’

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