Los Cabos Officials Increasing Food Vendor Inspections To Keep Tourists Safe

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Last Updated 7 months ago

With thousands of spring holiday vacation getaway travelers about to descend on Los Cabos, health department officials are out in force inspecting the popular street food stalls to ensure the safety and security of travelers enjoying the beach resort holiday.

Food Safety Priority

Inspectors with the State of Baja California Sur Commission for the Protection Against Health Risks (COEPRIS) will be out in Los Cabos next week to review and inspect the many food stalls and restaurants in the tourist hotspot to make sure they are all meeting the required standards for the safety of spring holiday travelers.

They plan to visit each fixed stall location, as well as those that are semi-fixed, to ensure important rules are followed, such as maintaining food at the proper temperature, separating cold and hot items, properly cooling cold items, and following proper handwashing standards.

The goal of the inspections is not to crack down on the street food businesses, which are very popular with travelers to Los Cabos, but to avoid the possibility of a widescale gastrointestinal disease outbreak among tourists and locals.

They are really focused on that the basic essential food safety standards are followed by the local street food vendors.

Transparency in Inspections

The State of Baja California Sur Commission for the Protection Against Health Risks (COEPRIS) has been criticized in the past for being too strict with the street food vendors in a retaliation movement to force them to shut down in support of the established restaurant industry in Los Cabos.

Because of this, inspectors will actually be carrying body cameras, similar to those used by police departments around the world, when conducting inspections of street food stalls.

The idea is to document the inspection as well as ensure that the inspections are conducted in a fair and equitable way. It is also recognized that these inspections are considered a joint health operation by local, state, and federal health department officials.

Los Cabos tourists are advised that they may be recorded if they are at a street vendor stall while an inspection is underway.

That’s because in order to document proper health procedures, the State Commission for the Protection Against Health Risks (COEPRIS) must document the interaction with customers, how the food is prepared, and most importantly, how it is handled when being delivered to the tourist.

According to a report, the proper handling and processing of food, beverages, and food supplements such as utensils, along with uncooked and raw food, are all part of the inspection process.

This will especially be enforced with the proper cooking and sale of seafood products which are popular with tourists and have been a source of gastrointestinal disease outbreaks in prior Los Cabos spring holidays.

What Tourists Need to Know

While not all tourists are comfortable buying items from street vendors because of the fear of getting sick, they should be aware that during the first week of the peak spring holiday travel period all fixed and semi-fixed street vendors will be inspected to make sure they are following the proper regulations to keep visitors safe.

Therefore, tourists should feel confident that the food stall they are eating at has met the minimum health standards as required by the State of Baja California Sur Commission for the Protection Against Health Risks (COEPRIS).

However, that is not a replacement for visitors watching how the vendor handles food prior to actually making a purchase.

Stop and watch while food is handled and prepared for several orders before placing an order. If something looks uncomfortable or unsafe, move on to another vendor.

There are plenty available to choose one that appears safe.

Travelers are also urged to obtain travel insurance that covers medical needs, such as a foodborne illness outbreak, before heading out on their spring holiday vacation getaway to Los Cabos.