A mystery sign stating that the city and county are not properly regulating food vendors at Balboa Park popped up recently and no one knows who put it there or why.
The sign also says there have been cases of people getting sick after eating food from some vendors.
NBC 7 reached out to the city and county Friday to check if any of the claims on the sign were true.
The county said it has not received any food-borne illness complaints linked to food vendors in Balboa Park. The city also replied, saying all food trucks and food vendors operating at Balboa Park must possess proper health permits from the county.
The mystery sign really upset some of the vendors who told NBC 7 they work hard and follow all the rules.
Raul Escobar of Kiko’s Seafood Lunch Truck, said he takes pride in running his business the right way.
Balboa Park Rangers monitor all vendors operating inside the park and can ask for permits if they don't recognize a vendor.
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Visitor David Allen was surprised when he saw the warning sign while strolling through the park Friday.
“The ones that show up in here are really high-end and they are really good food. And I didn’t even give it a thought, like, ‘Oh maybe this is questionable,’ so I don’t have any fears at all,” he told NBC 7.
Permitted food vendors can be identified by their San Diego County Health Department decal or grade card. Another way to determine if a food cart or food truck is permitted is to visit www.sdfoodinfo.org and search for the food vendor by name.
The sign posted in Balboa Park reads, in its entirety:
"PUBLIC NOTICE HEALTH ADVISORY: Be aware that the city and county are not properly regulating the food vendors in Balboa Park. Some food vendors are not following food safety preparation and hygienic serving guidelines. Issues, problems, concerns, complaints and questions regarding the status of proper food handling and certification of vendors aren’t being addressed adequately to ensure the public safety. As a consequence there have been cases of people becoming sick after eating food from some vendors. Be advised and take precautions. July 2019 CFHHB.”
