FDA Halts Production at Sprouts and Soy Processing Facility for Failing to Comply with Produce Safety Rule under FSMA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday that Fortune Food Product, Inc., an Illinois-based processor of sprouts and soy products, has agreed to stop production until it, among other things, undertakes remedial action and complies with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
The action marks the first consent decree of permanent injunction against a firm or grower for violating public safety standards under the Produce Safety Rule enacted under the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011. The Produce Safety Rule requires, among other things, that covered sprout operations take measures to prevent the introduction of dangerous microbes into seeds or beans used for sprouting; test spent sprout irrigation water (or, in some cases, in-process sprouts) for the presence of certain pathogens; test the growing, harvesting, packing, and holding environment for the presence of the Listeria species or Listeria monocytogenes; and take corrective actions when needed.