The FDA has sent a warning letter to the Velvet Ice Cream Company of Utica, Ohio, that Listeria monocytogenes has been found in their facility during inspection. The company makes ready-to-eat ice cream. There is zero tolerance for Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in ready-to-eat products, including deli meats and cheeses and ice cream because the consumer does not heat the food before eating, which would kill the pathogen. Once Listeria is introduced into a facility, it can become persistent and be very difficult to eradicate. In fact, there have been several issues with Listeria contamination in ice cream plants for the past few years. In April 2019, the FDA stated they were taking steps to improve ice cream production after finding the pathogen in 19 of the 89 ice cream … [Read more...]
FDA Warns Homeopathic Product Manufacturers
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning five homeopathic product manufacturers for significant violations of current good manufacturing practice regulations (CGMP). Warning letters were sent to those companies. Four of the letters target companies who jointly produced a product labeled as homeopathic that was not sterile. The fifth outlines a company's failure to have a system in place that makes sure there is proper design, monitoring, and control of the manufacturing process. FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless said in a statement, "It’s our public health obligation to protect consumers from unsafe products. Our manufacturing requirements are designed to ensure the quality and safety of drugs distributed to American consumers, and the FDA expects companies to … [Read more...]
FDA Warns Homeopathic Drug Producers For Violations of CGMP
The FDA has sent warning letters to four homeopathic drug producers for "significant violations of current food manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations." These products are labeled as homeopathic and marketed without FDA approval. The homeopathic industry has grown tremendously in the past several years. The government acknowledges the need to address situations where these products are marketed for serious diseases and the product has not been shown to offer clinical benefits. Products labeled as homeopathic have not been approved by the FDA for any use and may even not meet standards for quality and safety, according to the FDA. These products may be made from plants, healthy or diseased animal or human sources, minerals, and chemicals. They are marketed as natural, safe, and … [Read more...]
FDA Warns Nutra Pharma Group For Illegally Marketed Unapproved Products
The FDA posted a warning letter to Nutra Pharma Corporation for illegally marketing unapproved products that were labeled as homeopathic and made medical claims. More specifically, the claims were about ability to treat addiction and chronic pain, including pain that is associated with cancer, diabetes, fibromyalgia, and other serious medical conditions. The targeted products include Nyloxin Oral Spray, Nyloxin Topical Gel, Nyloxin Topical Roll-On, Nyloxin Topical Roll-On ES, Nyloxin Professional Size Pump Topical Gel and Regular Strength Sample Pack. These names are similar to other FDA-approved drugs and may confuse consumers. The claims on these products include "treats conditions that cause chronic pain," and "Cobra venom saw its primary use in the treatment of cancer and … [Read more...]
FDA Sends Warning Letter to Maker of Necco Wafers and Sweethearts
The FDA has sent a warning letter to the maker of Necco Wafers and Sweethearts about the conditions in their facility. The letter was sent to the New England Confectionary Company in Massachusetts. The inspection conducted late last year found "serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation." The violations included "significant evidence of rodent activity and insanitary conditions" throughout the facility. That means the candy products are adulterated. FDA inspectors found evidence of rodent activity in the food storage areas of the facility. Rodent excreta pellets that were too numerous to count and evidence of widespread rodent activity were found in "multiple areas" throughout the … [Read more...]
FDA Warns Companies That Make Coco Loko and Legal Lean as Unapproved New Drugs
The FDA is warning makers and manufacturers of two products, Legal Lean Syrup, a drink, and Coco Loko, a "snortable" chocolate powder, for selling unapproved new drugs and misbranded drugs. These products are promoted as alternatives to street drugs. The government has sent a warning letter to one company about this problem. Claims made in the promotional materials for the products demonstrate they are intended to be used as alternatives to street drugs. These products, as labeled and marketed, "may pose safety concerns," according to the press release. The FDA is concerned that these products encourage drug abuse in individuals, including minors. These street drug alternatives are used for recreational purposes to affect psychological states. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said … [Read more...]
Banzai Sushi Receives FDA Warning Letter
The FDA has sent a warning letter to Northwest Frozen LLC, doing business as Banzai Sushi, in Seattle, Washington. That seafood processing facility has serious violations of seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations and Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations for food. The facility must conduct or have conducted a hazard analysis for each kind of fish and fishery product produced. And an HACCP plan that lists the food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur. The firm's HACCP plan for "Frozen IQF Sushi Pieces" does not list the following food safety hazards: Clostridium botulinum growth and toxin formation; pathogenic bacteria growth and toxin formation; and undeclared allergens. The letter states that intact vacuum-packaged seafood … [Read more...]
Minnesota Lutefisk Manufacturer Gets FDA Warning Letter
Day Fish Company in Braham, Minnesota was inspected by the FDA from January 17 to January 23, 2017 and received a warning letter. The firm makes lutefisk from imported dried cod distributes pickled herring cutlets. According to the letter, the inspection revealed "serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR), Part 123. hat means that fish or fishery products are adulterated. The refrigerated, ready to eat seafood products are adulterated "in that they have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health." The firm must conduct a hazard analysis for each kind of fish and fishery product they produce along with a … [Read more...]
Whole Foods Closes Distribution Kitchens
A warning letter sent to the North Atlantic Whole Foods Market Kitchen in June 2016 listed problems at that facility that included the presence of non-pathogenic Listeria bacteria. Whole Foods has just announced it is closing some of its food distribution kitchens on the East coast. The warning letter detailed 20 "serious violations of the FDA's Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations for manufacturing, packing, or holding human food." These violations included employees mixing ready to eat pesto directly under an area where condensate from ceiling joints was dripping onto the surface below; cutting chives and beets under a leaking condensate drainage pipe, and holding uncovered ready to eat egg salad in barrels placed below a condenser that was dripping. In addition, … [Read more...]
Camel Milk Company Warned Over Health Claims
The FDA sent a letter to Desert Farms of Santa Monica, California, telling them that the claims they are making about the products they produce classify them as drugs, and they cannot sell them through interstate commerce. The FDA has threatened to seize products and may seek an injunction against Walid Abdul-Wahab and his company if changes are not made. The company's Facebook page posts therapeutic claims that state the milk products are "intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease." The products in question for sale are Raw Camel Milk (Fresh); Raw Camel Milk (Frozen); Raw Camel Milk Kefir (Fresh); Raw Camel Milk Kefir (Frozen); Pasteurized Camel Milk (Fresh); Pasteurized Camel Milk (Frozen); and Raw Camel Milk 1st Colostrum (Frozen); Raw Camel … [Read more...]
