A Toronto city councillor is pressing for changes that would allow vendors to sell more ethnically diverse street food, not just the same old hot dogs and sausages.
Coun. John Filion (Ward 23, Willowdale), who chairs the Toronto Board of Health, says the province's laws restricting the sale of different foods on the street is outdated.
"Presumably it's based on the fact that there isn't much you can do in the preparation of a hot dog that will make you sick," Filion told CTV's Alex Mihailovich.
Ontario's Health Protection and Promotion Act defines hazardous food as "any food that is capable of supporting the growth of pathogenic organisms or the production of toxins of such organisms."
In other words, hazardous foods are ones that contain dairy, eggs or meat. While hot dogs contain meat, Filion says they are full of nitrates and can be eaten raw without causing someone to get sick.
Filion recently approved a plan to hold a special event at Nathan Phillips Square this summer that would showcase the possibilities for Toronto street food.
He says residents and tourists will welcome with open arms and hearty appetites the chance to gobble up food other than the traditional wiener.
"I think it would broaden our cultural experience," one man told CTV News on Saturday.
"It's a multicultural city, right? Anything would be good," added another resident.
With a report from CTV's Alex Mihailovich
