PA State Police Announce Operation Code R.E.D. Enforcement Results

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May 13, 2013, 09:44 ET

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania State Police today announced the results of Operation Code R.E.D. (Refrigerated Enforcement Detail) refrigerator food truck inspection enforcement effort held on April 23.

Operation Code R.E.D. targeted commercial vehicles and large trucks transporting potentially hazardous foods.

"During Operation Code R.E.D., the Pennsylvania State Police and the Department of Agriculture worked together targeting food trucks to make certain that these trucks and our food are both safe," said State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan.

"The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is committed to food safety from farm to fork, and Code R.E.D. helps ensure food remains safe temperatures while in transit," said Agriculture Secretary George Greig. "Code R.E.D helps keep food in transit fresh and safe for our restaurants, retailers and consumers."

During the one-day effort, highly trained personnel from the state police and food inspectors from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture worked together to inspect 395 food trucks across the state resulting in the issuance of 115 traffic citations and 259 written warnings for driver/vehicle safety violations of the federal motor carrier safety regulations.

In addition, 10 trucks were found to have violated laws pertaining to the safe transportation of food. Seven of those trucks were found with unsanitary cargo areas while three more were transporting potentially hazardous foods at unsafe temperatures.

"According to the United States Department of Agriculture, commercial motor vehicles are used to transport 80 to 90 percent of all consumer products in the United States, including food. Unfortunately, most efforts aimed at protecting our food supply are focused on the beginning or end of the food chain," said Noonan.

For more information, visit the state police website at www.psp.state.pa.us.

Media contacts: Maria A. Finn or Tpr. Adam Reed, 717-783-5556

Editor's Note: Following is a breakdown, by state police troop area, of the number of inspections conducted and citations/warnings issued by state police during the one-day program:

Troop A (Cambria, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties), 12 inspections; one citation; 16 warnings.
Troop B (Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties), 33 inspections; 13 citations; 28 warnings; three trucks with unsanitary cargo areas; two trucks transporting food at unsafe temperatures.
Troop C (Clarion, Clearfield, Forest, Elk, Jefferson and McKean counties), 44 inspections; nine citations; 35 warnings.
Troop D (Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties), 23 inspections; no citations; five warnings.
Troop E (Crawford, Erie, Venango and Warren counties), 28 inspections; nine citations; 17 warnings.
Troop F (Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Union and Tioga counties), 19 inspections; five citations; eight warnings.
Troop G (Bedford, Blair, Centre, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata and Mifflin counties), 23 inspections; nine citations; 25 warnings.
Troop H (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Perry and York counties), 45 inspections; six citations; two warnings.
Troop J (Chester and Lancaster counties), 35 inspections; 11 citations; 14 warnings; four trucks with unsanitary cargo areas; one trucks transporting food at unsafe temperature.
Troop K (Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties), 39 inspections; 12 citations; 33 warnings.
Troop L (Berks, Lebanon and Schuylkill counties), five inspections; no citations; one warning.
Troop M (Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties), four inspections; no citations; six warnings.
Troop N (Carbon, Columbia, Monroe and part of Luzerne counties), four inspections; one citation; four warnings.
Troop P (Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and part of Luzerne counties), 13 inspections; six citations; nine warnings.
Troop R (Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna and Wayne counties), 30 inspections; 16 citations; 32 warnings.
Troop T (Pennsylvania Turnpike), 38 inspections; 17 citations; 24 warnings.