Q&A
Street vendor enforcement and food seizure policies
0:46:32
·
128 sec
Council Member Abreu questions DSNY officials about their involvement in street vendor enforcement and policies regarding food seizure and donation.
- DSNY complies with local law requiring notification of food rescue organizations when food is seized
- The agency takes a warnings-first approach to vendor enforcement
- Food safety inspectors are involved in the process when seizure is necessary
- DSNY agrees to provide more detailed data on the percentage of seized food donated or composted
- The agency will also provide information on the involvement of Department of Health employees in enforcement actions
Shaun Abreu
0:46:32
DS and y has been involved in the enforcement of street vendor regulations.
0:46:37
Local law requires that when an agency sees us food, when the Department of Health, Employee, or an agent of the OHM agents present, and certifies that the food meets local sanitary requirements, The agents the agency shall, prior to disposing of the food, notify a food organization about its available about its availability.
0:46:56
Has that been happening?
Joshua Goodman
0:46:57
It has been.
0:46:58
I have outdated numbers about it.
0:47:00
We could get you a better number.
0:47:03
It would probably take me a few minutes to pull it up either.
0:47:05
I I had seen a report about it some weeks ago, so I don't wanna give you old data, but I can say for certain that it is happening, both donation if the food is safe and composting if the food is unsafe.
UNKNOWN
0:47:15
Do you
Shaun Abreu
0:47:15
know how often it it it happens, the notifications of food rescue organizations?
Joshua Goodman
0:47:19
Anytime food is confiscated, and a Department of Health Certification person is available.
0:47:26
It happens enough that I've seen data on it before.
0:47:29
We can get you more reliable.
Shaun Abreu
0:47:30
And I would like to see examples of yeah.
0:47:33
I mean, on
Joshua Goodman
0:47:33
street bending enforcement, I think it's important to remember that seizure of material is sort of that means we've already gone through a few steps anyway.
0:47:42
Right?
0:47:43
We've tried to take a warnings first approach.
0:47:45
To our vendor enforcement.
0:47:47
There's a lot of discretion involved.
0:47:51
If a seizure is necessary, then we try to get a inspector there to guarantee food safety.
0:47:59
You know?
0:47:59
So we're already a little ways down the process.
0:48:01
It's not a extremely common use case, but it does happen, and we are complying with law.
Shaun Abreu
0:48:07
What percent of street vendor enforcement interactions involve at least 1 DOHMH employee?
Joshua Goodman
0:48:14
I don't know whether they are present for the actions or called after the fact as needed, but we can get back to you
Shaun Abreu
0:48:20
with that.
0:48:20
And I would also like to know the percent of food seized during street vendor enforcement operations is need it to food rescue event organizations, you say you would send that?
Joshua Goodman
0:48:29
Yes.
0:48:29
We can get that and the amount that's composted.
Shaun Abreu
0:48:33
Alright.
0:48:34
I I don't wanna hold on my hold I have more questions on organics, but if my colleagues have questions, I think now would be a good opportunity.
