Health Concerns

Health Officials Investigate Blackmarket Cheese

Oaxcan Cheese Ball
Oaxcan Cheese Ball Photo: El Gran Dee via Flickr

L.A. County Department of Public Health officials are investigating black market cheese makers and warning consumers to make sure their queso is coming from a reputable source, and still packaged with an intact label. According to Santa Clarita’s The Signal, investigators believe label-less Mexican-style soft cheeses (like queso fresco and panela) are commonly purchased or obtained “from points unknown,” repackaged, then sold at swap meets and door-to-door, even finding their way into small markets. We haven’t yet heard of any death toll resulting from the threatened e-coli and salmonella infestations, and imagine officials have deadlier imports to worry about flying over our borders. While we’ll certainly “check our cheese,” we can’t really do the same for our favorite food trucks or street stands. Might this be just another ruse to scare patrons from eating on the street?

Health Officials Warn of Bad Cheese [The Signal]

Health Officials Investigate Blackmarket Cheese