DOJ Closes Maine Seafood Company for Unsanitary Conditions
A Maine federal court has granted the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) a permanent injunction against Mill Stream Corp., a seafood company that allegedly failed to take measures preventing the formation and growth of Clostridium botulinum, the cause of botulism, or Listeria monocytogenes, the cause of listeriosis. U.S. v. Mill Stream Corp., No. 16-0080 (D. Me., order entered February 12, 2016).
The injunction prevents the company and its employees from processing or distributing food produced at Mill Stream’s facilities or by its owner until several conditions have been satisfied, including: (i) retention of an independent laboratory to test for Listeria, (ii) development of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plans by an independent expert, (iii) implementation of such plans, (iv) completion of additional employee training, and (v) approval to reopen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“The failure to plan for and control the presence of bacteria and neurotoxins commonly found in seafood-processing facilities can pose a significant risk to the public health,” a DOJ attorney said in a February 12, 2016, press release. “The Department of Justice will continue to work aggressively with FDA to prevent the distribution of adulterated food.”
Issue 595
