The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday filed for a permanent injunction against seafood processor Captain's Select Seafood of Minneapolis and two of its top officers for violating the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
The agency says the seafood processor has an extensive history of violating food-safety laws and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations. FDA officials say the company could put the public's health at risk by not having adequate plans to produce safe food.
"We simply can't allow a company to put the public's health at risk by not having adequate procedures and plans to produce safe food," says Margaret O'K. Glavin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "Our warning letters should not be taken lightly. We will take action against companies and against their executives who violate the law and endanger public health."
The complaint was filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, following a February 2006 warning letter and other violations dating back to April 2004.
The FDA says no illnesses have been reported from Captain's Select Seafood products. The agency's HACCP regulations require that all seafood processors develop and implement adequate plans that identify all food-safety hazards that are likely to occur for each kind of seafood product, and contain preventative measures that the processor can implement to control those hazards.
Without adequate controls, products made by Captain's Select Seafood could harbor pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes, the FDA said in a press release. Food products with these kinds of pathogens can cause serious illnesses if consumed.
