Stick to hotdogs, Yukon health inspectors tell food carts

Some Whitehorse street food vendors are not happy about having to scale back their menus, as the territory works to enforce health regulations.

Patrick Singh, who operates Mark & Paddy's Funky Fine Foods, said he was recently told to stop selling homemade cheeseburgers from his food cart and instead stick to hotdogs and smokies.

"Technically, I can't cook anything. I mean, the only reason I am able to do hotdogs and smokies is because they come out of a package and they are technically ready-to-eat," Singh said.

"I'm not allowed to chop an onion, technically, at my stand."

Singh said he wants to fight the requirements he thinks are unfair or unreasonable, but he foresees "an endless battle" with government.

"In the nine years we have been operating, we have had no complaints."

Gaddy Katz, who operates a food cart at Whitehorse's Fireweed Market, was told he had to expand his facilities, or stop serving his popular falafels. 

"They tell me I need to put two more sinks in this cart and build a refrigerator. But even then, I'm not allowed to cook, only can serve," he said.

He's dropped the falafels and now sells only french fries.

"It's about rules, it's not about common sense." 

Food safety requirements

Benton Foster, the territory's manager of environmental health services, says it's actually about food safety.

He said food cart policy is guided by the territory's food and drinking places regulations, and officials have to periodically do inspections to ensure public health is not at risk.

Push carts are only allowed to reheat prepared food. If they don't have a refrigerator, they're allowed to operate no more than four hours using ice packs for refrigeration. 

"We're dealing with clients every day on these issues. And for the most part, we don't have any issues with them. Some of them aren't happy," Foster said.

"We don't necessarily tell clients how they have to do it, but they have to meet the food safety requirements."