LOS ANGELES (AP) - Two Asian delicacies are the subject of a simmering debate pitting merchants who like to store them at room temperature for hours against food safety regulators who worry the practice could allow bacteria to build up.
One is a rice cake filled with fatty pork and beans, wrapped in banana leaves and served during the Lunar New Year. Another is a baked pastry consisting of lotus paste and a duck egg yolk.
In recent years, the treats have become targets of food inspectors, who have cited merchants for allowing them to sit at room temperature for more than four hours — the amount of time it takes for bacteria growth.
But bakers and consumers say the storage method is key to maintaining the texture and moistness of the food.
This week, state lawmakers came to the aid of the delicacies by ordering state health officials to determine whether the treats can be safely kept at room temperature for much longer than four hours. When the tests are completed, officials would set new standards.
"The contention ... is, 'We've been eating these foods for thousands of years, and nobody is getting sick. Why the stringent requirements, then?'" said Assemblyman Van Tran, who proposed the legislation which won overwhelming approval in the state Senate and Assembly. The bill is now before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"You have to find a balance between public health and history and culture. It's a classic American story," said Tran, a Republican who represents Little Saigon, a large Vietnamese enclave in Orange County.
Health officials in that county and in Los Angeles said Thursday they would welcome an easing of the restrictions as long as they fall within whatever time limit the state's research determines is safe.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
RSS
