Deer Parts Removed from PA Restaurant During Inspection

A restaurant in Lititz, PA was found to have a large amount of deer parts including heads and brains.  In a joint investigation, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and  PA Dept of Ag removed this - "Amount of parts removed included: 4 trash bags, 2 boxes, 3 plastic tubs, one 5 gallon bucket and 9 trash bags of prepared foods."  The owner indicated that it was for his own consumption.

 The inspection was completed after a confidential tip was made to the authorities.  It is not legal to sell meat from wild game animals.  Having deer heads and brains in the establishment is also a risk for CWD - chronic wasting disease.

In addition, inspectors found numerous violations.

  

PennLive.com

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2015/12/deer_brains_heads_parts_confis.html

Deer brains, heads, parts confiscated from Chinese restaurant: Ag department inspection

  

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is investigating a large quantity of deer heads, brains and other, unidentifiable parts found at the New China House restaurant in Lititz Dec. 16, according to an agriculture department inspection report, but the eatery remains open.

 

The restaurant, at 721 S. Broad St., was listed as "out of compliance" by the state Department of Agriculture after an inspector Dec. 16 found 18 violations, including the following:

 

"PA Game Commission confiscated the following from facility walk-in cooler and freezer after operator was unable to provide documentation that game animal meats being used in the facility were from an approved source: deer brains, deer heads, skinned and whole tails, legs, muscle meat, spines, necks and other unidentifiable parts both raw and cooked. Amount of parts removed included: 4 trash bags, 2 boxes, 3 plastic tubs, one 5 gallon bucket and 9 trash bags of prepared foods. In addition, sampling of prepared food found in walk-ins were taken to be tested for species identification."

 

What Wine Do You Serve with Roasted Raccoon?

A California grocery store was selling frozen raccoon, fur on, until they were visited by the LA Health Department.  A customer had spotted the frozen furry critter with tongue hanging out, and reported it.  The supermarket is said to have been selling frozen raccoons for years.

At 9.99/lb, a five pound raccoon, field dressed and frozen, will probably yield about  2lbs or so of meat.  In the end, pretty expensive, unless of course, you can 'fix' yourself a coon tail hat.

Is it legal?  Game animals have to be farm raised and slaughtered under inspection to be sold commercially.

So what type of wine would you serve....well, you came to the spot.  Denise Gardner, Wine Extension Extraordinaire, suggests a nice Beaujolais, a light bodied red with a fair amount of acidity.  This will pair nicely to the gaminess of the cooked varmint.  Not the nouveau style of the wine however.


CBS Los Angeles
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/02/10/la-health-department-takes-action-after-local-supermarket-sells-raccoons-as-food/
LA Health Officials Take Action After Local Supermarket Sells Raccoons As Food
February 10, 2015 11:11 PM

TEMPLE CITY (CBSLA.com) — The Health Department has taken action after a local supermarket’s frozen foods section featured an unusual item.

Inspectors from the LA County Health Department visited the Metro Supermarket in Temple City on Tuesday, after being informed that the market was selling raccoons as food.