New York Post

Grade A (B & C) NY street meat

- By RICH CALDER

That street hot dog could soon come with mustard, sauerkraut and a grade of A, B or C.

The City Council Health Committee Tuesday unanimousl­y approved a bill requiring the Health Department to post sanitary grades for food carts, just as it does for restaurant­s.

Street-food vendors already get inspected and can be subject to fines. But, unlike eateries, they don’t have to display the results.

“Everyone who handles food should be subject to the same rules,” said City Councilwom­an Karen Koslowitz (D-Queens), the bill’s sponsor. “People have a right to know if the conditions are really sanitary.”

Koslowitz said she sponsored the bill after noticing street vendors in her Forest Hills neighborho­od staying open past midnight, and wondering about their bathroom habits, considerin­g nearby restaurant­s with restrooms close earlier.

“If they relieve themselves, do they wash their hands?” she asked. “It’s something the public has a right to know.”

Both Koslowitz and Councilman Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan), the Health Committee chairman, said there has been no public opposition to the bill — even from vendors. The lawmakers said they expect it to be ap- proved by the council as early as Wednesday.

Matthew Shapiro, a staff attorney with Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, said the group supports the grades.

“The vendors are proud of the food they serve and they want to be able to show the public that they can provide the same quality of food as restaurant­s,” he said.

Abdelalim Abdelbaky, who runs a food cart by the World Trade Center, said he “loves” the plan.

“It’s great for my business because I expect to get an A, and customers will want to buy from me because I got the A,” Abdelbaky said. rcalder@nypost.com

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