Task force targets 'fiestas' selling illegal raw dairy, other illicit goods

[Guest guest]

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_raids06.456

948c.html

10:00 PM PDT on Saturday, July 5, 2008

By LAURIE LUCAS

The Press-Enterprise

For sellers, these open-air markets are a quick way to rake in $1,500

to $2,000, tax-free.

For buyers, these gatherings satisfy cravings for cultural

traditions -- cheap, homemade cheese and an alcoholic beverage made

with fresh raw milk.

But for health and law enforcement officials, these so-called

Sunday " fiestas " are illegal public nuisances that can make people

sick from consuming unpasteurized dairy products produced under

unsanitary conditions.

In poorer areas of cities and in rural, unincorporated parts of San

Bernardino and Riverside counties, a team of authorities confiscates

queso fresco, fresh cheese made in bathtubs, baskets, wooden molds,

pipe sections, even coffins, said P. Chandler, with Riverside

County's Department of Environmental Health, where he created and

heads the Illegal Food Program.

Recently, 155 pounds of homemade cheese tested positive for the

bacteria staphylococcus, he said. The contaminated queso fresco was

sold from the trunk of a car and seized in a June 22 raid in Eastvale

and in the Home Gardens area southwest of Riverside.

The Inland Valley Task Force, which conducted the raid, also snapped

up and discarded potent but perilous parajetes. It's concocted with

warm, raw milk squirted directly from a cow's or goat's teat, coffee,

cocoa, cinnamon, chocolate or sugar and 100 pure cane alcohol that's

bottled in Tijuana but illegal in the U.S.

" There's not a proliferation of these cases, " said

Weissman, an assistant district attorney in Riverside County, who is

part of the team. " We're just catching them "

Task Force's Success

Chandler said the task force's aggressive approach is paying off. At

most sites, fiesta attendance has plummeted from 300 to 30, evidence

that that the word is getting out.

The 30-member team, composed of investigators from dozens of

agencies, also pounces on illegal drugs; weapons; counterfeit,

pirated and bootlegged materials; animal slaughter; undocumented

cattle; and rooster fights that often accompany these events.

In connection with the June 22 raid, authorities submitted three

felony cases to the district attorney for unpasteurized dairy sales

and production and alcohol sales; seized 13 head of undocumented

cattle; made one arrest for methamphetamine possession; and

confiscated 300 pounds of cheese and parajetes.

" Parajetes is very close to wood alcohol, " Chandler said, citing its

high alcohol content. " I've seen people drinking it destroyed by 8

o'clock in the morning. "

The team mobilizes at least once a month to check out complaints from

neighbors about traffic problems, weekend crowds and excessive noise

at these backyard open-air markets. A loose affiliation launched six

years ago, the task force gained clout -- as well as more state,

federal, county, local and private partners, and official status in

2006.

Catching Offenders

Scarlett Treviso is a state investigator with the Department of Food

and Agriculture, whose turf covers all of Southern California. She

identified prime Inland trouble spots as Chino, Chino Hills,

Eastvale, Glen Avon, the Home Gardens area, Jurupa Valley, Pedley,

Mira Loma, Lake Elsinore, Perris and Nuevo.

Some of those peddling illegal dairy products are repeat offenders,

while others are rookies, unaware of the health risks and

regulations, Treviso said.

" They're all trying to make a living, " she said. " But it's a

misdemeanor to sell milk and a felony to manufacture it. "

Sellers usually charge $4 to $6 for a cup of parajetes and $5 to $8

for a pound of homemade cheese.

The task force's work is important, she said, " to protect the

citizens of the Inland Empire and educate them to purchase factory-

sealed and regulated dairy products. "

Offenders may spend anywhere from days to months in jail, and almost

every case is settled out of court. No-shows are served with bench

warrants.

Treviso said they don't bother the shoppers, who quickly scatter once

the team shows up. But at every raid, the team distributes brochures

in English and Spanish about the risks of illegal food sellers.

" If we can cut off their customers, we can put the sellers and

manufacturers out of business, " Chandler said.

Agents from the Board of Equalization have joined the sweeps to nab

illegal sellers for violations of taxation and revenue, which carry a

mandatory minimum fine of $1,000. The fiestas are unfair to

legitimate business owners who use licensed facilities and pay and

charge taxes, Weissman said.

Breeding Ground for Disease

The main concern is health and safety. Raw milk and raw dairy

products may contain disease-causing pathogens such as campylobacter,

E. coli, listeria, salmonella and yersinia.

Over the past five years there have been 18 outbreaks of bacterial

illness involving raw milk or raw milk cheeses in 15 states,

according to an FDA report.

Given the unsanitary conditions -- the flies and cockroaches, plus

the lack of hand washing, sterilization equipment, refrigeration or

pasteurization -- Chandler said the fiesta sites are breeding grounds

for disease. But he said that most/ food poisonings are

underreported, misdiagnosed or reported after the person recovers

when it's too late to identify the cause.

He doesn't know how many Inland residents have been sickened, because

food-borne illness often manifests itself with flu-like symptoms such

as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever.

" They may not realize that they might have gotten sick drinking raw

milk taken from an infected goat's teat, " Chandler said.

Reach Laurie Lucas at or llucas@...

[Guest guest]

This article goes on and on about the food but just skips across illegal

drugs and weapons. Hmmmm, wonder if that isn't what they are really looking

for and using " food safety " as an excuse for harassing people?

I love the " not bothering the consumers " comment. It isn't illegal anywhere

to buy milk but it sure is to buy drugs and weapons.

Debbie Chikousky

Manitoba, Canada

" Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't

pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for,

protected, and handed onto them to do the same, or one day we will spend our

sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was

once like in the United States where men were free. " - Reagan

" Task force targets 'fiestas' selling illegal raw dairy,

other illicit goods "

> http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_raids06.456

> 948c.html

>

> 10:00 PM PDT on Saturday, July 5, 2008

>

> By LAURIE LUCAS

> The Press-Enterprise

>

> For sellers, these open-air markets are a quick way to rake in $1,500

> to $2,000, tax-free.

>

> For buyers, these gatherings satisfy cravings for cultural

> traditions -- cheap, homemade cheese and an alcoholic beverage made

> with fresh raw milk.

>

> But for health and law enforcement officials, these so-called

> Sunday " fiestas " are illegal public nuisances that can make people

> sick from consuming unpasteurized dairy products produced under

> unsanitary conditions.

>

> In poorer areas of cities and in rural, unincorporated parts of San

> Bernardino and Riverside counties, a team of authorities confiscates

> queso fresco, fresh cheese made in bathtubs, baskets, wooden molds,

> pipe sections, even coffins, said P. Chandler, with Riverside

> County's Department of Environmental Health, where he created and

> heads the Illegal Food Program.

>

> Recently, 155 pounds of homemade cheese tested positive for the

> bacteria staphylococcus, he said. The contaminated queso fresco was

> sold from the trunk of a car and seized in a June 22 raid in Eastvale

> and in the Home Gardens area southwest of Riverside.

>

> The Inland Valley Task Force, which conducted the raid, also snapped

> up and discarded potent but perilous parajetes. It's concocted with

> warm, raw milk squirted directly from a cow's or goat's teat, coffee,

> cocoa, cinnamon, chocolate or sugar and 100 pure cane alcohol that's

> bottled in Tijuana but illegal in the U.S.

>

> " There's not a proliferation of these cases, " said

> Weissman, an assistant district attorney in Riverside County, who is

> part of the team. " We're just catching them "

>

> Task Force's Success

>

> Chandler said the task force's aggressive approach is paying off. At

> most sites, fiesta attendance has plummeted from 300 to 30, evidence

> that that the word is getting out.

>

> The 30-member team, composed of investigators from dozens of

> agencies, also pounces on illegal drugs; weapons; counterfeit,

> pirated and bootlegged materials; animal slaughter; undocumented

> cattle; and rooster fights that often accompany these events.

>

> In connection with the June 22 raid, authorities submitted three

> felony cases to the district attorney for unpasteurized dairy sales

> and production and alcohol sales; seized 13 head of undocumented

> cattle; made one arrest for methamphetamine possession; and

> confiscated 300 pounds of cheese and parajetes.

>

> " Parajetes is very close to wood alcohol, " Chandler said, citing its

> high alcohol content. " I've seen people drinking it destroyed by 8

> o'clock in the morning. "

>

> The team mobilizes at least once a month to check out complaints from

> neighbors about traffic problems, weekend crowds and excessive noise

> at these backyard open-air markets. A loose affiliation launched six

> years ago, the task force gained clout -- as well as more state,

> federal, county, local and private partners, and official status in

> 2006.

>

> Catching Offenders

>

> Scarlett Treviso is a state investigator with the Department of Food

> and Agriculture, whose turf covers all of Southern California. She

> identified prime Inland trouble spots as Chino, Chino Hills,

> Eastvale, Glen Avon, the Home Gardens area, Jurupa Valley, Pedley,

> Mira Loma, Lake Elsinore, Perris and Nuevo.

>

> Some of those peddling illegal dairy products are repeat offenders,

> while others are rookies, unaware of the health risks and

> regulations, Treviso said.

>

> " They're all trying to make a living, " she said. " But it's a

> misdemeanor to sell milk and a felony to manufacture it. "

>

> Sellers usually charge $4 to $6 for a cup of parajetes and $5 to $8

> for a pound of homemade cheese.

>

> The task force's work is important, she said, " to protect the

> citizens of the Inland Empire and educate them to purchase factory-

> sealed and regulated dairy products. "

>

> Offenders may spend anywhere from days to months in jail, and almost

> every case is settled out of court. No-shows are served with bench

> warrants.

>

> Treviso said they don't bother the shoppers, who quickly scatter once

> the team shows up. But at every raid, the team distributes brochures

> in English and Spanish about the risks of illegal food sellers.

>

> " If we can cut off their customers, we can put the sellers and

> manufacturers out of business, " Chandler said.

>

> Agents from the Board of Equalization have joined the sweeps to nab

> illegal sellers for violations of taxation and revenue, which carry a

> mandatory minimum fine of $1,000. The fiestas are unfair to

> legitimate business owners who use licensed facilities and pay and

> charge taxes, Weissman said.

>

> Breeding Ground for Disease

>

> The main concern is health and safety. Raw milk and raw dairy

> products may contain disease-causing pathogens such as campylobacter,

> E. coli, listeria, salmonella and yersinia.

>

> Over the past five years there have been 18 outbreaks of bacterial

> illness involving raw milk or raw milk cheeses in 15 states,

> according to an FDA report.

>

> Given the unsanitary conditions -- the flies and cockroaches, plus

> the lack of hand washing, sterilization equipment, refrigeration or

> pasteurization -- Chandler said the fiesta sites are breeding grounds

> for disease. But he said that most/ food poisonings are

> underreported, misdiagnosed or reported after the person recovers

> when it's too late to identify the cause.

>

> He doesn't know how many Inland residents have been sickened, because

> food-borne illness often manifests itself with flu-like symptoms such

> as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever.

>

> " They may not realize that they might have gotten sick drinking raw

> milk taken from an infected goat's teat, " Chandler said.

>

> Reach Laurie Lucas at or llucas@...

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

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