California’s Central Valley Meat Co. has been indefinitely closed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for failing to meet cleanliness standards. “FSIS withdrew our inspectors and suspended operations due to insanitary conditions at the establishment,” the agency said in an emailed statement to Food Safety News. “The plant’s suspension will be lifted once we receive adequate assurances of corrective action.” The USDA previously shut down Central Valley in 2012 for inhumane handling of animals after an undercover video showed alleged violations of humane slaughter laws taking place there. Central Valley employees were caught on camera torturing cattle with prods and subjecting them to other inhumane treatment. No recall has been initiated in the latest closure, suggesting that federal authorities are not treating this as a food safety issue. Central Valley, located 30 miles from Fresno, supplies beef to the National School Lunch Program. In 2012, Food Safety News reported that Central Valley beef had accounted for roughly 16 percent of beef purchases made by USDA during the 2010-2011 school year.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
Plans to create Scottish-specific pathogen thresholds have been dropped, according to an update on foodborne illness in the country.
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) said it would follow the approach
Microbiological risks and mycotoxin levels in plant-based dairy alternatives are generally low but consumer storage practices and product ingredients can significantly impact safety, according to research in Finland.
Findings
A food testing program in Scotland has revealed a high level of compliance but also showed examples of microbial contamination and meat substitution.
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) funds an annual
The Food and Drug Administration has released a 54-page report on the Occurrence of Foodborne Illness Risk Factors in Retail Food Store Delis.
The report includes findings from data
The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed.
Recent
G. L. Mezzetta Inc. is recalling Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat, 32-ounce because of a consumer complaint about a dead mouse in a jar.
The company has contacted
As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or
