2 Investigators: Food Cart Dangers

August 16, 2012 12:00 AM " CHICAGO (CBS) -- You see them along the streets in the neighborhoods of Chicago: food carts selling everything from tacos to frozen ice drinks.

But there’s absolutely no city regulation or inspection of food carts in Chicago. So is it safe to eat from these carts?

The 2 Investigators checked some of them out and found potential health and safety violations at each of the eight food carts they visited with an undercover camera.

At one location, a group of tourists from Mississippi seemed to be enjoying a Mexican corn specialty called “elotes” — steamed corn, mixed with mayonnaise, butter and other toppings.

But food safety expert Kantha Shelke reviewed CBS 2 video and pointed out something that was not so good: a tub of mayonnaise sitting out in the 98-degree heat.

“The tub has been sitting out for an extended period of time, not chilled,” Shelke told Zekman. “So, it could also not only be loaded with bacteria, but the bacteria in it could be multiplying.”

At a coconut drink stand, the server used bare hands to scoop ice for a drink and worked on a dirty countertop to cut up the meat inside and serve it with condiments to eat. "

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