Bill would require letter grades for food carts, trucks

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Hot dogs, pretzels, and shish kabobs are a staple of New York City streets. In almost every corner you can find a food cart. As popular as they are some people often have concerns about just how sanitary they are.

These are concerns shared by some city council members. That is why Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz introduced a bill that would require street food vendors to post letter grades showing their health inspections. New Yorkers we spoke with like the proposal.

Lesley Hayden operates a smoothie cart in Battery Park during the summer and occasionally helps out at this food cart. She, too, thinks it is a great idea especially for the customers.

Sean Basinski, director of the Street Vendor Project, says he supports the proposal. In a statement to Fox 5, he says: "Vendors have been asking for letter grading for years. Right now, vendors receive frequent health inspections, but the public often is not aware that their food is safe and delicious. "

The city has been giving letter grades to restaurants since 2010.

This proposed bill has to go to the health committee first. If approved it then gets passed on to the City Council, which would vote on it. Koslowitz is confident it will pass and if that's the case later this year we would see the letter grades posted on the food carts.