Unsafe Food Handling Shuts Down Illinois Cream Cheese, Seafood Companies

On May 15, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the forced closing of two Illinois companies for failure to maintain adequate food handling procedures and noncompliance with labeling requirements.  Lifeway Foods, Inc., and LFI Enterprises, Inc., a subsidiary of Lifeway, operate facilities in Skokie, Illlnois, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that manufacture cream cheese and seafood-based products.

The permanent injunction comes after repeated violations of FDA policies dating back to 2004 and perhaps longer.  The complaint against the food manufacturing corporations and their two top executives, Julie and Edward Smolyansky, was filed by the US Department of Justice for the following repeat violations:

• Labels on cream cheese products did not list food allergens that might be present in the products, levels of trans fat, and did not list all ingredients in the products.
• Failure to maintain Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans, the gold standard for food safety in commercial establishments, when working with seafood products that include ground nova salmon, lox-flavored cream cheese and cream cheese spreads, and whitefish salad.
• Failure to maintain a documented record of sanitation standards that include clean food preparation surfaces, hand washing and sanitation, prevention of cross contamination, and clean toilet facilities.

Lifeway and LFI Enterprises will be allowed to resume operations only when the FDA sees evidence of complete compliance with all requirements for safe food handling, including the employment of an expert in seafood processing who can establish a HACCP plan that meets FDA approval.

Citing risk to public health when food manufacturers fail to meet FDA standards, Margaret Glavin, an associate commissioner for the FDA’s regulatory affairs says the agency will take action against all companies and their executive-level personnel who violate regulations.

HACCP plans reduce the risk of contamination from dangerous bacteria and other pathogens that are known to cause serious illness and even death, in some cases.  Improperly labeled foods do not provide adequate warning of the presence of potentially life-threatening allergens or provide the nutritional information many consumers rely on.

Lifeway also manufactures Farmers cheese and other spreadable cheese products, as well as kefir.  The May 15 injunction does not include the manufacture of these food products.

Source: FDA