FDA Seeks to Shut Down New Jersey Cheese Manufacturer

The Food and Drug Administration has asked a court to shut down a New Jersey-based cheese manufacturer because the company has repeatedly failed to correct insanitary conditions blamed for causing a string of outbreaks of potentially deadly foodborne bacteria.

The company, Quesos Mi Pueblito, has been involved in several product recalls in the past year. In August 2009, officials announced several recalls of soft Mexican style cheeses due to the possibility of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

Quesos Mi Pueblito currently manufactures and distributes a variety of soft, semi-soft, and hard Mexican cheeses in grocery stores and supermarkets in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia and the District of Columbia, the FDA said. The company’s products are queso oaxaca, queso fresco, queso requeson, and queso cotija molido.

Listeria poisoning – a condition also called listeriosis – can lead to fatal health complications, particularly in frail or elderly people, young children, and others with weakened immune systems. Most healthy individuals recover from listeria food poisoning in a few days after developing only mild to moderate symptoms including fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

However, pregnant women may suffer from miscarriage or still birth after infection with listeria bacteria, the FDA warns.

Quesos Me Pueblito is accused of ignoring federal and state warnings about sanitary problems at the company’s food processing facility, the FDA notice said.

Federal Complaint Filed

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint for permanent injunction against the company and two of its officers, Felix Sanchez and Jesus Galvez.  Recent inspections by the FDA and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services found Listeria-contaminated cheese and insanitary conditions at the Passaic company, according to the injunction request.

If a judge grants the injunction, the company and its officers would be banned from manufacturing and distributing food until they can bring their operations into full compliance with FDA food safety regulations and produce cheese that does not test positive for the presence of Listeria. The complaint for permanent injunction was filed in the U.S. District Court – District of New Jersey, the FDA said.

Consumers can report problems with FDA-regulated products to their district office consumer complaint coordinator.

No related posts.