Mobile Food Unit Operations and Regulatory Oversight in Johnston County, North Carolina: A Cross-Sectional Evaluation

Across the U.S., mobile food units (MFUs) are a rapidly growing trend in the culinary industry. In North Carolina, the Johnston County Health Department has the highest number of permitted MFUs across all North Carolina counties. Yet fewer than 2% of MFUs undergo all three required yearly food safety and health inspections. The low number is due to key challenges of communication barriers and MFU mobility outside of county lines. We conducted a phone-based survey of MFU operators in Johnston County. Survey participants were identified through the Johnston County Health Department’s MFU permit applications. Of the 361 MFU owners, 47 eligible MFU owners participated in the survey. The survey included both closed- and open-ended questions to better understand the demographic composition of MFU owners and their operations in Johnston County and other surrounding counties. We found that MFU operators in Johnston County have diverse backgrounds, and that they face various challenges related to language accessibility and complexity in regulations and operating locations. Providing more multilingual resources and intercounty coordination of operating compliance and location would enhance regulatory oversight and MFU support.