... and hold the mold

Today's story about a surprise inspection of catering trucks in Fresno was an eye opener. Many of the trucks inspected were found to have some pretty serious food safety and sanitation violations, and many others flunked inspections for emissions and other vehicular safety problems.

One catering operator said, apparently with some surprise, that this is the first time in his 24 years in the business that he's seen such a large-scale inspection. Perhaps we shouldn't wait so long for the next one.

I've never been a frequent patron of catering trucks -- I recall in my youth they were known as "roach coaches," and that's a little off-putting. But I have had some pretty tasty tacos from several of them over the years. Now I wonder.

As is usually the case in such events, some operators who set high standards for themselves and their employees will get tarred by the same brush that paints the bad ones. That may suggest the need for a little self-policing in the industry. And caution on the part of customers.