The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced it filed a decree of permanent injunction against a Maryland seafood processor for not complying with federal food-safety laws.
The Congressional Seafood Co. of Jessup, Md., was ordered to stop processing and distributing adulterated seafood for failing to follow seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point regulations in the handling of products, including raw, ready-to-eat tuna for sushi and sashimi, fresh and vacuum-packed crab meat, frozen octopus and shrimp and other shellfish.
The company’s violations include failure to document that fish were refrigerated at appropriate temperatures, failure to keep fish species separate to avoid cross-contamination, failure to meet sanitation standards or keep records of compliance, and failure to verify that imported fish meet FDA standards.
“On numerous occasions, FDA has warned defendants, both orally and in writing, about their conduct and has emphasized the importance of their compliance with the [Food, Drug and Cosmetic] Act,” said Michael Chappell, FDA’s acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs.
