Posted on 10/02/2009 9:58:58 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Manufacturers unite against a California law that prohibits the pasta from being kept at room temperature, saying it ignores a long-held cultural tradition. Public health officials cite safety.
For 25 years, the Lucky K.T. Noodle Factory in El Monte has been making fresh rice noodles for hundreds of Asian restaurants and supermarkets in Los Angeles and around the country.
But a state law requiring manufacturers to refrigerate the pasta instead of allowing it to be stored at room temperature threatens to alter a long-held Asian tradition, said factory owner Tom Thong.
"The health inspectors don't understand our culture," said Thong, 53. "We've been eating it this way for thousands of years and we've never had a problem. Everyone from Southeast Asia knows that if you put the noodles in the refrigerator, it would be ruined."
The issue first came to light when a San Francisco noodle factory was recently cited by state inspectors for violating the law, which requires that such food be kept either at or below 41 degrees or at or above 140 degrees, said state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco). A portion of the factory was shut down and nine people lost their jobs, he said.
Now Yee and a group of Asian business owners have joined forces to demand a change in the law.
"We still have an antiquated state code that allows state inspectors to come into any shop to tell them to throw the noodles away," Yee said Thursday at a news conference at a Monterey Park restaurant. "We've got to change the behavior of the inspectors rather than change our culture."
But health officials say it's a matter of public safety.
"Ethnic foods are not treated any differently than other foods," said Ralph Montano, spokesman for the California Department of Public Health. "Food produced
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
How many years have you been voting Democrat TomThong?
>>”The health inspectors don’t understand our culture,”<<
They understand your culture just fine — the culture growing on your noodles.
The idea that for thousands of years this wasn’t a problem ignores the fact that the lifespan expectancy for those thousands of years was very short — much as a result of not understanding the importance of proper food preparation and other primitive ignorance.
Asians are easier to attack.....
try attack Islam, Black, Mexican foods that have long culture history......won’t see it in the Good O USA....
I guarantee you
obvious that you don’t understand the grammar “We’ve been eating it this way for thousands of years and we’ve never had a problem. Everyone from Southeast Asia knows that if you put the noodles in the refrigerator, it would be ruined.”
1. Have been eating: means from thousands years ago “NON STOP” till now and continuing.....
2. Have never had a problem: means from thousands years ago “NO PROBLEM” till now and continuing.....
3. there have been no reports of illness from eating Asian noodles: means in USA since 1800 till now
When the California Department of Public Health requires “BREAD, BAGEL” to be refrigerated then I’ll agree with YOU
The noodles are boiled before consumption anyway, right? That should kill of any bad stuff.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.