Dive Brief:
- FDA sent its final warning letter of 2015 to Eco Sushi Express Inc. in Oakville, CT, regarding "serious violations" of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations uncovered during inspections.
- According to the inspection results from Sept. 9, 10, and 15, at Eco Sushi Express' seafood processing facility, fish or fish products were "adulterated in that they have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health."
- Four of the seafood processor's products had been adulterated, according to the FDA, because they contained the unsafe food additive phenylalanine, and two of these products were misbranded because they did not list eggs as a major food allergen contained therein.
Dive Insight:
Per new FSMA requirements, FDA hopes to eradicate unsanitary conditions as were found at Eco Sushi Express' facility through preventive controls that require companies to identify potential problems and develop written plans for how they will report and fix any food safety issues.
Last year, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service released guidelines regarding food allergens, particularly for meat, poultry, and processed egg companies, for better ingredient management.
Blue Bell is now under investigation by the Department of Justice in regards to a listeria outbreak linked to the company's products last year.