FDA Targets Unsafe Fish Supplier in MD
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has obtained a judicial decree enabling it to shut down a Maryland fish distributor that has ignored the agency's warnings to abide by food safety laws.
The company in question is Congressional Seafood Co. Inc. of Jessup, Maryland. It supplies raw tuna and other fish for sushi and sashimi in addition to handling fresh and vacuum-packed crab meat, frozen octopus and shrimp and molluscan shellfish. Its market area includes New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Virginia and Pennsylvania..gif)
FDA said past violations have included 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 met FDA standards. The practices pose a public health risk because the fish products are well-known sources of E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum,Salmonella and other pathogens capable of causing serious health injury and death.
The decree, signed by U.S. District Judge Benson E. Legg, allows FDA to shut down Congressional Seafood, recall its products or take other corrective action in the event of future violations.
