FDA Cites Safety Violations by Maryland Seafood Processor

Posted on January 12, 2010 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine

A Maryland seafood processor that repeatedly failed to comply with federal food safety laws is being ordered to stop processing and distributing contaminated seafood. The Food and Drug Administration said that Congressional Seafood Inc., Co. received repeated warnings about their failure to meet sanitation standards.

Violations included failure to document that fish were refrigerated at appropriate temperatures, failure to keep fish species separate to avoid cross-contamination, and failure to verify that imported fish met FDA standards. The company delivers seafood in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Washington. Three company executives were also cited.

In order to become compliant with food safety laws, Congressional Seafood needs to have a sanitation plan submitted by an independent expert and approved by the FDA. If the company violates safety standards again, the FDA may recall its products, shut it down, or take other corrective action. The FDA complaint notes that the production of fresh, frozen and ready-to- eat seafood products without adequate safety plans poses a significant public health risk and may contain several different strains of bacteria.