Michel Cordon Bleu, a business in California that processed and distributed ready to eat fish products, was enjoined against preparing, processing, and distributing food by the U.S. District court for the Central District of California. The injunction forces the company owner to implement consumer safety measures before resuming business.
The Department filed the complaint on October 3, 2017, at the request of the FDA. Michel Cordon Bleu prepared processed, packed, held, and distributed refrigerated vacuum-packed, ready-to-eat cold, and hot smoked fish or fishery products.
The hazards presented by the food, according to the complaint, include the risk of Clostridium botulinum and Listeria monocytogenes, It also stated that the food was adulterated because it was prepared or held under insanitary conditions, and the processor did not comply with the requirements of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point regulations.
The owner, Michel G. Blanchet, agreed to settle the litigation and was bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction. If he intends to resume the activity, he must notify FDA of that intent in writing in advance, comply with the remedial measures that were set forth in the injunctions and open his facility to FDA inspection.
FDA inspected Michel Cordon Bleu many times, including twice in 2016. The complaint alleges that the company failed to control the risk of Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium botulism. In addition, FDA’s analysis of environmental samples during the inspections in January and February 2016 round Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in multiple locations throughout the facility. There is zero tolerance for that pathogenic bacteria in ready-to-eat foods.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said in a statement, “The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that processors and distributors of seafood products comply with laws designed to protect consumers. The Department of Justice continues to work with the FDA to ensure that consumers are protected from potentially unsafe food.”
