Home Style Foods to cease production over food safety violations

US-based food manufacturer Home Style Foods has agreed to cease its production activities following repeated food safety violations.

District Judge Sean F Cox entered a consent decree of permanent injunction between the US food regulatory authorities and the company’s owner Michael J Kowalski, and its quality manager Juan Valesquez.

The Michigan-based food manufacturer will commence the sale of products only after it complies with federal regulations and other requirements.

This move comes after several inspections carried out by the US Food and Drug Administration. It found Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) in the firm’s food preparation area.

The firm had also violated seafood safety regulations associated with the processing of fish and fishery products.

The decree prevents the company from receiving, preparing, processing, packing, holding, labelling and distributing foods at its facility, or any other facility, until it meets requirements.

It also forces the company to take corrective actions and notify the FDA before they can resume operations.

FDA chief counsel Stacy Cline Amin said: “After repeated food safety violations, the FDA worked with the US Department of Justice to obtain this injunction in order to prevent potentially contaminated food from reaching consumers.

“The company failed to take the appropriate corrective actions resulting in this action. When a company fails to follow the law, the government will take action to protect the food supply.”

Mono is a species of disease-causing bacteria and when people consume food contaminated with these bacteria there is a possibility that people could develop a disease called listeriosis, which can have serious adverse effects on consumers.