The Artesian Trout Farm, a seafood processing facility in Westfield, WS, is producing air packed hot-smoked trout and salmon that is adulterated or impure and it is misbranded, the Food and Drug Administration says.
In a Nov. 12 warning letter, FDA said an inspection last summer at the Wisconsin seafood processor found serious violations of food safety regulations for seafood.
“Accordingly, your air packed hot-smoked trout and salmon products are adulterated in that they have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health,” the warning letter said.
FDA said the Trout Farm’s seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan for smoked trout and salmon does not list a critical limit for temperature during the brining process to control the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and toxin formation.
Also its seafood HACCP plan does not list a control point for cooling to control the food safety hazard of pathogen growth.
The Trout Farms fish products are also misbranded, according to FDA. The agency gave the company specific language that it said should be included in the ingredient statement on the label. Also, the label must include name and place of the manufacturer, along with the city and zip code.
FDA asked the company to respond to the concerns raised in the warning letter within 15 business days.
