Posted on 01/31/2006 7:31:19 PM PST by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
Authorities seized 600 pounds of "bathtub cheese" from a small ranch in southwest Riverside County last week.
The seizure of the illegally produced cheese was one of the largest on record in California, according to the Department of Food and Agriculture.
The cheese was seized last Saturday by a multiagency task force that included CDFA officers, Ontario police and Riverside and San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies. Also seized were wooden cheese presses, molds and other items used in production. Two men at the ranch were cited for illegal cheese production.
Officials refer to illegally produced cheese as "bathtub cheese" because of the often unsanitary conditions in which it is made.
Dirty production techniques encourage the growth of harmful bacteria such as salmonella and listeria, which pose serious health risks, according the the CDFA.
CDFA spokesman Steve Lyle said he didn't know where this cheese was being sold. But illegally produced cheese is most commonly sold on the streets and at open-air markets, he said.
- Rod Leveque, (909) 483-9325
Cheese Sold On Streets Could Be Unpasteurized
POSTED: 11:27 pm PDT July 15, 2004
UPDATED: 11:34 pm PDT July 15, 2004
SAN DIEGO -- On Thursday, health officials warned residents not to buy cheese and raw milk products sold on the streets and neighborhoods of San Diego County.
The warning was issued because those items could contain harmful bacteria. The illegal products, known as "bathtub cheese," are a health threat because unlicensed manufacturers use raw, unpasteurized milk that can promote bacteria growth, according to health officials.
"We have found these illegal cheeses being sold from the back of cars or trucks, at swap meets and from door-to-door salespeople," said Gary Erbeck, director of the County Environmental Health Department.
The containers used to make the cheese -- bathtubs, homemade wooden vats and rusted molds -- are often stored in barns or garages without adequate pest control and sanitation.
"There can be serious health consequences if unpasteurized cheese is consumed," said Dr. Michele Ginsberg, the county's chief of epidemiology.
Salmonella, listeria, nausea, diarrhea, muscle aches and fever are some of the health problems associated with bad cheese, Ginsberg said. Pregnant women should be particularly cautious because they can transmit listeria to the fetus, which can result in stillborn, early labor or meningitis in the newborn infant.
Those who have eaten unpasteurized cheese and are concerned should contact a physician.
In California, it is a criminal offense to manufacture and sell cheese from an unlicensed facility.
Gag
It's the fine insouciance of soap scum that makes it oh so yummy.
Monterey, Jack?
Everybody knows cheese is a "gateway" drug - next thing you know, you'll be snorting buttermilk.
And the wine makers!!!!!
batfec
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives and CHEESE!
dude, that's just wrong.
Two gay cheesemaking ranchers find their whey.
No, man, this sh*t is straight from Thailand. It will knock you on your @ss, man. You'd better take the whole pound; it won't last long.
Yep. Ever wonder why at some Mexican restaurants how they can pile up the cheese on their dinners, but the prices are really reasonable? Here your answer.
LOL!
Saw an expose on this problem 25 years ago on, of all places, a local television station in San Francisco. Notice that in this article they didn't report on the identities of the perps. If they had, I could have practically guaranteed you that the perps would be Hispanic, and most likely illegal.
They brew this crap up in dirty bathtubs, five-gallon buckets that they fish out of dumpsters and, yes, even dirty toilet bowls. As for where it's sold... It's sold mainly to Mexican restaurants which are looking to cut costs.
Methinks Lyle is being more than a little disingenuous; it's a well-known problem. Buyer beware.
I think they scrape it out from illegal workers toes. Toe jam!
Venezuelan Beaver Cheese?
I suddenly have a craving for Cheese Puffs.
So THAT'S who moved my cheese!
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