ALBUQUERQUE, NM – The intersection of Coors and Rio Bravo sees a lot of traffic, so it’s no surprise that pop-up vendors sometimes set up their booths when they’re not supposed to.

“Yes, there are food vendors out there and you should approach them with caution,” said Kell Platero, Bernalillo County health protection manager.

Platero says these vendors could put your health at risk. The county recently closed two pop-up food vendors at Coors and Rio Bravo and Coors and Isleta.

They claim that these providers did not have the necessary permits and did not comply with safety regulations.

“We pay attention to how the food is handled. Do they wear gloves? Do they not touch the food with bare hands? Are there safe temperatures? Are the cold foods cold or the warm foods hot?” said Platero.

Photos show some of the problems inspectors found. For example, hot meat was stored at temperatures below the CDC’s recommended 140 degrees or more. And the temperature of the cheese was measured at 60 degrees, 20 degrees higher than the CDC recommendation, which is even printed on the packaging.

Platero says that under such conditions there is a risk that people will get sick.

“The CDC estimates that there are about 48 million foodborne illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and about 3,000 deaths each year from foodborne illness alone,” Platero said.

So what can you do to make sure you’re buying safe food? First, check for a permit and a sticker. A green sticker means the restaurant or vendor has received a sufficient rating from the county. A red sticker means the place needs to improve its work.

“For temporary stands, a yellow permit is posted and that is where the final inspection is issued. If you ask for it, you should get it,” Platero said.

Platero says traders who don’t comply with the rules hurt everyone.

“So there are vendors that don’t get permits or licenses, but there’s also a community of food establishments in the South Valley that have permits, and that’s not fair to them,” Platero said.