In an effort to fight avocado theft in the county, the recently formed Avocado Anti-Theft Task Force toured a local packing house Sept. 6 to learn how to spot stolen fruit. The task force is a joint effort between Agriculture, Weights and Measures (AWM), the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Environmental Health (DEH). Representatives from those agencies toured Henry Avocado in Escondido, where they received valuable training in how to recognize the differences between commercially packaged and purchased avocados versus stolen avocados. AWM and DEH inspectors, along with representatives from the Sheriff’s office, will look for proper proof of ownership documents, avocado inspection stamps and labels on boxes and bins during routine visits to roadside stands, restaurants, markets and other businesses where stolen avocados may be found.
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