Denver’s public health authorities are defending a food inspector whose actions sparked national outrage after a viral video showed him pouring bleach into batches of prepared food at an unlicensed street vendor. The City of Denver said the measure was necessary to prevent the sale of food it deemed dangerously unsafe, following repeated violations that spanned multiple Colorado jurisdictions.
The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) said the incident occurred during an enforcement action targeting Tacos Tacolorado, a food stand operating near Colorado Boulevard and Evans Avenue. Officials said the vendor had been warned repeatedly and was in violation of multiple cease-and-desist orders when inspectors found a series of serious food safety failures.
Emily Williams, a spokeswoman for the DDPHE, said the public reaction to the video failed to capture the severity of the risks involved. “This kind of enforcement is never our first step,” she said, adding, “It does look extreme, but the situation itself is extreme.” Her remarks reflected the department’s conclusion that the vendor’s ongoing violations posed a significant threat to public health…