The notion that “the food police are coming” motivated attendees at the United Fresh Produce Association’s Washington Conference earlier this month to attend a session featuring Jeffrey Steger, assistant director in the Consumer Protection Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice, and prominent attorney Doug Fellman, a partner, at Hogan Lovells US LLP. 
There have…
DOJ invites victims of Salmonella outbreak to criminal hearing
Invitations requiring no RSVPs are out to more than 150 people who suffered from Salmonella Tennessee 10 years ago from contaminated Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter. They have been invited to the likely final hearing for United States of America v. ConAgra Grocery Products Company LLC. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Victim Notification…
Justice helps FDA shut down noodle and sprout distribution
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors began recording the failure to properly maintain the Kwong Tung Foods facility at 1840 East 38th Street in Minneapolis in 2010. Pipes were observed draining directly onto the floor. During 2011, 2012, and 2014 inspections, FDA observed dripping into food preparation areas and/or a food production room. Those…
Judge moves quickly to stop seafood processor’s operation
The federal government’s new emphasis on food safety was recently revealed in two ways through litigation against a Mobile Bay seafood company. First, food safety risks created by the company’s actions are getting a longer and more thorough discussion in complaints filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Second, the time lag between DOJ filing…
Appeal could put Secretary of Agriculture in courthouse door
For the first time since the U.S. Department of Justice increased filing criminal charges for food safety violations, it may get its wings clipped just a bit by a challenge to district court jurisdiction in some limited instances. At issue is a jurisdictional question being raised on appeal that could prevent some criminal charges from…
Court pulls plug on California soy business and its tofu, sauce
Wa Heng Dou-Fu & Soy Sauce Corp., doing business as Wa Heng Dou-Fu & Soy Sauce International Enterprises (Wa Heng), along with co-owners Peng Xiang “Martin” Lin and Yuexiao “Opal” Lin have consented to a decree in the U.S. District Court for Eastern California that permanently restrains and enjoins any further operation of their California…
Court order prevents distribution of beans and sauces
Brothers William and Scott McGreevy said in March that they’d reach a “quick resolution” to the dispute between their Wichita company and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On Wednesday, that prediction came true when the U.S. District Court for Kansas ordered a permanent injunction against the company, Native American Enterprises LLC, vice president…
Letter From the Editor: The New Normal
Not so long ago, errant food industry managers and executives did not have to worry about going to jail. But they do now. The government once did not have any intentions, plans or strategies for obtaining convictions of food industry managers and executives. But they do now. Before 2010, a corporation with contaminated food that…
Federal judge for eastern Michigan sends Scotty’s to sidelines for repairs
A Detroit area sandwich distributor is now under a federal court’s permanent injunction with orders to clean up its act. Scotty’s Inc. and co-owner and manager Sandra L. Jackson cannot — under terms of the injunction — receive, prepare, process, pack, hold or distribute any of their ready-to eat sandwich products until they complete a…
Michigan’s S. Serra Cheese accepts permanent injunction
During much of the 18 months it was in court, it appeared that the Clinton, MI-based S. Serra Cheese Co. was going contest an injunction against it brought by the U.S. Department of Justice in federal court in August 2014. But a permanent injunction has now been entered against the Macomb County company and its…