Operators of a caviar processing business in France have corrected food safety problems that U.S. inspectors found earlier this year, according to a close out letter posted by the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent inspectors into the Caviar Petrossian S.A. location in Paris on April 25 and 26. The inspectors found “serious violations” of federal food safety laws. The company responded to the FDA’s concerns in writing on May 4, describing corrective actions, but the U.S. regulatory agency found that response inadequate.
Specifically, the seafood company did not have sufficient temperature monitoring and documentation for its refrigerated vacuum packaged liquid caviar, according to an Aug. 2 warning letter made public in recent days by the FDA.
Provisions in the U.S. Seafood HACCP regulation require companies to ensure proper temperatures are maintained to control Clostridium botulinum growth and toxin formation. The toxin causes botulism poisoning.
“Your corrective actions must ensure adulterated product does not enter commerce. FDA recommends you revise your corrective action to describe the disposition of the affected product, such as: evaluating the cumulative time and temperature exposures for food safety; destroy affected products; or divert the products to a non-food use, in addition to the corrective actions listed in your plan,” the U.S. agency told the French company in the Aug. 2 warning letter.
On Sept. 21, the FDA sent a close out letter to Caviar Petrossian CEO Armen Petrossian.
“Based on our evaluation, it appears you have addressed the violations contained in the Warning Letter. Future FDA inspections and regulatory activities will further assess the adequacy and sustainability of these corrections,” the close out letter states.
“This letter does not relieve you or your firm from the responsibility of taking all necessary steps to assure sustained compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and its implementing regulations or with other relevant legal authority.”
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