Man told to limit his pig roasting

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... &cset=true

I think it he DID actually set up in front of City Hall, Daley might try some of that lechon before shutting him down.

Perhaps, but I'm not so sure about Pat Horcher, village president of Wheeling, where the municipal building in question is located.

The article doesn't say what brought the guy to the attention of village officials in the first place. I suspect his neighbors may have complained.

Yup, he'd been cited a few times for selling his lechon, with a neighbor as the trigger, and the latest issue is that he claims by giving it to the church, he's not a commercial operation.

I can understand the village's stance: he's not health inspected, no biz license, and he's a recidivist. It still could have been handled with more of a kid-glove approach. It's gotten two page-2 articles in the Trib, several in the Pioneer Press... Wheeling is looking like "barbecue cops".

Actually, I've been following this story and posting it on Link LTH - the Tribune is who outed him by doing a story on lechon! He was cited shortly after.

I'm a little surprised how far this whole saga went...is a pig roaster really that much more of a fire hazard than a BBQ grill? I'm also amazed that they can cite public health as an issue at a church picnic...

Hi,

If the article is correct, when his lechon was found being sold at market, then he crossed into commercial distribution without a license.

I had a lengthy discussion on Sunday about this issue. My friend made a very interesting point: this guy might be an excellent source for a roast pig of a fairly rare style. Why doesn't he go commercial, get his sanitation and business licenses, then sell it. There are a number of Filipino caters in this area who do business for parties. He could join forces with one of them or go on his own. What will be a crime is if his pork lechon is never available to taste.

Regards,

Mhays wrote:I'm also amazed that they can cite public health as an issue at a church picnic...

I have been to a church potluck when health inspectors arrived to check if the food was properly handled. When you are feeding the public, you have to meet sanitation standards many home kitchens wouldn't pass.

Regards,

Mhays wrote: I'm also amazed that they can cite public health as an issue at a church picnic...

It has been a real big issue among the churches in rural McHenry Co.. The health department has shut down a number of the fundraising dinners in that they are requiring a lot of things that make holding such dinners unprofitable. Generally, you have to meet a lot of standards to sell to the general public. Most health departments stop when it is a church potluck solely for the congregation.

My take on the situation is that if you sell food to the public, you need to follow the rules period. (My concern in this county is that there are several long-time license holders in the county who run really dirty operations and they are still in business.)

Getting back to the case in hand, is it fair that small operators not be subject to the same sanitation standards that the other small businesses are required to follow? Not to me.

Hi,

What the health department may or may not discourage, the insurance company will do by either raising their coverage rates or excluding food service.

The church I referenced earlier no longer does pot lucks, instead it is catered food for their public events. The liability is now the caterer's who bring and serve the food. Not as interesting an event as it was years ago, though understandable under the circumstances.

Regards,