Hot Trucks Part 4: Consumers speak out

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - All week long, NewsChannel 18 has been investigating "Hot Trucks."

"Hot Trucks" are refrigerated trucks state police have pulled over only to find spoiled food en route to Indiana restaurants and grocery stores.

So far, NewsChannel 18 has reported 50 percent of all hot trucks discovered statewide this summer were found in just two counties: Tippecanoe and Clinton.

Thursday, NewsChannel 18's Krista Henery hit the streets and talked to some residents who were in shock when we told them about the ongoing problem and others who said they weren't surprised.

Everything from chain restaurants, to your typical small-town "mom and pop"-style diners.

The Greater Lafayette area is home to about 385 restaurants.

"Probably 110 of those are right in the downtown area," Jo Wade, President of CVB said. "From 11th Street in Lafayette all the way over to the Village in West Lafayette."

In 2011, restaurant sales in the state of Indiana totaled nearly $9 billion. In the Greater Lafayette area alone, sales added up to a whopping $275 million.

"Certainly the visitors are all going out to eat a lot," Wade said. "But we have a good mix of people from the community that eat out on a regular basis. Breakfast, lunch and dinner."

Dr. Richard Ghiselli, Head of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University, said data suggests per capita income in Greater Lafayette in 2011 was nearly $23,000.

"Our most recent numbers indicate that restaurant sales per capita was about $1,400 a year," Dr. Richard Ghiselli said.

Ghiselli said that means Greater Lafayette residents spent about 6 percent of their income last year on dining out. And with numbers like that, even in a sluggish economy, Ghiselli said it's obvious, more people these days are choosing to dine out.

"I eat out every day," Lafayette resident David Mattingley said.

"I eat out usually about two times a week," Lafayette resident David Rosenthal said.

"I'd say probably like twice a month," Lafayette resident Victoria Pardue said.

But after dozens of hot trucks carrying foul food to area restaurants and grocery stores ended up on the hot seat with Indiana State Police this summer, NewsChannel 18 decided to hit the streets and find out what residents think about this potentially hazardous food, potentially making its way to their dinner plates.

"I was concerned about how they can't catch them all," Lafayette resident, Paul Houser said. "It makes you wonder how much gets through."

"It's bad business," Mattingley said. "They're disregarding the health and safety of society in general and they should suffer some sort of penalty for it. How hard is it to refrigerate a truck?"

"The hot trucks bringing spoiled food?" Rosenthal said. "I am very much against that. The problem we have in this country is you have to trust the people who deliver our food."

"It wouldn't surprise me. It's actually really refreshing," Pardue said.

Refreshing to hear that Indiana State Police are keeping a close eye on these hot trucks.

And now residents said next time they're at the grocery store or an area restaurant, they'll keep a closer eye on what they're buying and what they're eating.

Friday, tune into NewsChannel 18 at 5 and 6 to hear from health and government officials about what they're doing to crack down and keep these hot trucks from delivering hazardous food to area restaurants and grocery stores.