The Washington State Department of Agriculture has revoked the food processing license of Wu Kung Hwa Oriental Food. That facility makes traditional Korean rice cakes. The license was revoked after inspectors found on-going sanitation problems. The facility is located in Pierce County. The facility was also penalized $11,900, and notified that all of the company's products must be destroyed. Mu Kung Hwa Oriental Food has 10 days to appeal and request a reconsideration, but it cannot produce food during that time period. Inspectors found problems with unsanitary conditions, poor sanitation practices by employees, and a "general failure" to protect food products from contamination. Public health officials have issued orders to suspend the license two times before, but the company … [Read more...]
Wolf Pack Cannery License Suspended
The Washington State Department of Agriculture has suspended the food processing license for Wolf Pack Cannery, also known as G. Wolf Enterprises, for on-going sanitation problems and violations of food processing standards. The statement also said that there was a lack of cooperation from management. The facility cans and jars products for businesses and small farmers in the region. All operations were ordered ceased as of September 13, 2013. Violations of food processing laws included using wooden storage trays that couldn't be properly sanitized, mildew in a walk-in cooler, jar leads stored in open containers that could be easily contaminated, and deviations from proper canning processes that can cause illness. WSDA began to inspect the facility on September 12, 2013, but were … [Read more...]
Former CDC Directors Concerned About Budget Cuts
Six former directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote a letter published in Politico, asking Congress to avoid budget cuts to that agency in the name of public health and safety. William H. Foege, Julie Gerberdine, Jeffrey P. Koplan, James O. Mason, William L. Roper, and David Satcher all signed the letter. They state that the work of the CDC is "a matter of life and death." That government agency supports emergency responses to hurricanes, investigates foodborne illness outbreaks, problems with medical products, and fights chronic illness in this country. They point to the current meningitis outbreak linked to steroids made at the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts as a prime example of necessary government surveillance. So far, 510 people have been … [Read more...]
