Subscribe to the RSS feed.Public Health as Enabler of Food, Frolic and Social Capital
By: CHP | Posted on: June 24th, 2009 | 
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Categories: Economic Issues • Policies and Laws • Nutrition • Public Health • Urban Issues
While some people associate government public health with onerous restrictions, it does seek to improve the lives of everyone. And every once in a while, health departments are shown to not only make our lives safer and healthier, but even more interesting and festive
Most Portlanders already know that the city is a Mecca for serious foodies, drawing people from far corners to sample its restaurants, cocktail lounges, brewpubs, and food carts.
Food carts?
That’s right. In case you haven’t heard it, Portland’s food carts are garnering some serious attention.
In May 2009, Matt Gross gushed in the New York Times, that he “marveled again at how well Portlanders live on so little and Portland’s food carts may be the best example of that…In the last couple of years they’ve exploded in numbers and ambition, with cuisines ranging from Mexican and Thai to Korean and Kazakh to Dutch waffles and Belgian fries. Today, there are almost 400 carts around Portland, most of them clustered into ‘pods’ that ring parking lots, and thanks to low start-up costs and Multnomah County’s straightforward licensing and inspection regime, aspiring chefs can make their names without major investments.”
The Oregonian also recently hailed the food cart scene in a recent A&E cover story. “Though hardly a Portland invention,” the article began, “food carts are a distinctly local phenomenon. The city is a well documented haven for obsessive foodies, and they’ve got willing allies in local government. Whereas some municipalities ban carts altogether, Multnomah County makes it fairly easy to operate one, requiring only a yearly license, compliance with zoning and other ordinances, and regular health inspections. As a result, Portland boasts several bustling pods downtown, plus many dozens of individual carts scattered throughout the metro area. As of May 2009, there were 387 licensed carts in Portland, according to Jon Kawaguchi of the Multnomah County Health Department.”
So the local health department plays a key role in an exciting trend in food, fun, and livability.
What else can public health do – what else does public health do – to make our communities not just healthier, but more fun and more enjoyable places to live?
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How about this headlining article from today’s Oregonian:
Mussel harvesting closed on north, central coast beaches
“The Oregon Department of Agriculture announces the closure of recreational mussel harvesting from the south jetty of the Columbia River to Neptune State Park, south of Yachats, due to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning or PSP, toxins. The closure includes mussels found on the beaches, rocks, jetties, and bay entrances in this section of the Oregon Coast.
Shellfish contaminated with PSP toxins can cause minor to severe illness or even death.”
Unless officials tested the waters/shellfish and then posted warnings and closed beaches to clamming, people would have no idea that the shellfish are dangerous.