FDA wants injunction against seafood firm

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is pursuing a permanent injunction against Worldwide Fish & Seafood Inc; Suzanne Weinstein, its president and owner; and Timothy A Lauer, its general manager. The seafood processor does business as Minneapolis MN-based Coastal Seafood and distributes seafood to restaurants in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and North and South Dakota.

The FDA's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, charges the defendants with violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by processing seafood products under possibly health-threatening conditions.

According to the complaint, seven FDA inspections over the past six years--including two in November 2006 — showed the defendants had failed to establish and implement adequate Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans to prevent and control food safety hazards.

FDA inspections also revealed the defendants neither ensured their equipment was actually recording refrigerator temperatures, nor did they monitor temperature recording devices. Despite repeated warnings, Worldwide Fish consistently failed to have and implement adequate seafood HACCP plans for each potentially hazardous product, the FDA said.