State leaps on illegal food vendors

The rare weekend sweep was aimed at enforcing the rules and health standards

By Sarah Zoellick / szoellick@staradvertiser.com

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Feb 17, 2013

~~<p>State health officials said it's not easy to find illegal food vendors operating on Oahu during business hours, but plenty of permitless operators pop up on weekends and holidays when they know they can get away with it.</p>
<p>"We have had no overtime approvals for seven years, other than for active foodborne illness investigations," said Peter Oshiro, manager of the Health Department's Environmental Health Program. "So these guys have flourished; they know we don't come out (after hours)."</p>
~~

State health officials said it's not easy to find illegal food vendors operating on Oahu during business hours, but plenty of permitless operators pop up on weekends and holidays when they know they can get away with it.

"We have had no overtime approvals for seven years, other than for active foodborne illness investigations," said Peter Oshiro, manager of the Health Department's Environmental Health Program. "So these guys have flourished; they know we don't come out (after hours)." Login for more...