Article: Queseria Bendita -- Cheese-Maker Goes the Healthy Way -- Benedita Aguilar made cheese her neighbors liked, but it took health authorities and hard work to

create business

By DORI HARRELL

YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

As Benedita Aguilar separates the whey and curds of her queso fresco cheese, she's doing more than making a living, she's safeguarding the health of some Yakima Valley residents.

Hers is a story of underground markets, entrepreneurial spirit and the difficult choices faced by public health authorities.

Five years ago, Aguilar was among an unknown number of underground producers making queso fresco, a salty, soft white Mexican cheese. To satisfy customer demands, many producers used unpasteurized milk that health authorities blame for greatly contributing to 98 cases of salmonella in 1997.

Since immigrating to Yakima in 1990, Aguilar ...

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