DENVER — The City of Denver says an employee seen in a viral video pouring bleach into a street vendor’s food was taking an “extreme” measure in response to extreme and repeated violations of the public health code.

The video circulating on social media is from an enforcement action Saturday against the street vendor Tacos Tacolorado at Colorado Boulevard and Evans Avenue. In the clip, a Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) employee is seen pouring bleach into food containers at the taco stand. The footage has spread widely and led to online condemnation of the inspector’s actions.

“This kind of enforcement is never our first step,” said DDPHE spokeswoman Emily Williams. “It does look extreme, but the situation itself is extreme.”

According to Williams, Tacos Tacol

See Full Page