ConAgra Facility Tests Positive For Listeria, Receives FDA Warning Letter
By Laurel Maloy, contributing writer, Food Online
ConAgra’s Affton, MO sunflower seed processing facility is issued an FDA warning letter citing numerous instances of insanitary practices
In the month of April, the FDA’s Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations division issued only 39 warning letters. As usual, the majority of these letters are in regard to Medical Devices, though almost half were issued to food-processing facilities or dairies.
Of the food-processing facilities, eight are cited as having “Food/Prepared/Packed or Held Under Insanitary Conditions/Adulterated.” These facilities include: Caito Fisheries, Biondillo’s Bakery, Hahn’s Old Fashioned Cake Company, Montana Fish Company, Boyko Foods, and Serpe & Sons. Normally, these small operations, though having to answer to FDA inspectors, would not merit much notice, except to local vendors. However, they are on the FDA, 2014 Warning Letter update for the month of April, along with one large and well-recognized company.
Gary Rodkin, CEO of ConAgra Foods, was issued an FDA Warning Letter on April 7, 2014 by the FDA’s Southwest Regional Office. Citing inspections occurring on Jan 8 through 10, Jan 13 through 16, Jan 21, and Jan 27, at the Affton, MO plant, unsanitary conditions were documented in accordance with Section 402(a)(4) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act).
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The letter states that on Jan 14, the sunflower seed processing facility was informed of the environmental sampling for Listeria that would take place in the production areas. According to the letter, ConAgra performed cleaning and sanitation of the processing equipment on the same day. On Jan 15, upon inspection by the FDA, a total of four swabs tested positive for Listeria welshimen and Listeria innocua; three of these swabs were from a panning area, where seeds are collected after roasting, one of the last steps in processing.
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The letter goes on to explain that employees were observed leaving the production areas, going to the break areas, to the locker rooms, or walking outside, and then returning without donning the proper production attire as required by 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 110.80. On Jan 15 inspectors also observed the panning operator touching controls and work surfaces, and then mixing product without changing gloves. Additionally, as documented, on Jan 18, inspectors witnessed employees cleaning and handling spilled product and touching the inside of trash containers. The employees then returned to work without washing their hands or replacing their gloves.
ConAgra is no stranger to the regulations of proper food handling. In business, according to the Company History Timeline, since 1867, ConAgra has been round the block once or twice, so to speak. Easily one of the largest food producers in the U.S., ConAgra touts its popularity with the American public on its homepage, stating, “You’ll find our food in 99 percent of America’s homes.” Also on the homepage, ConAgra says it is committed to “earning your trust with every meal.” Well, according to the most current FDA warning letter, and to its history of the costly Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter recall just seven short years ago, ConAgra still has some valuable lessons to learn regarding food safety.