U.S. Marshalls Seize Food Products After FDA Inspection

By Sam Lewis

Widespread rodent and insect infestation at two Virginia food companies

Federal Marshals began the process of seizing food products on September 16 from Gourmet Provisions, and Royal Cup. The confiscation comes under warrants issued by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia after the FDA inspected the facility, finding widespread violations of FDA policies on the premises.

The most recent FDA inspection of the facility revealed unclean equipment, structural defects, and most disturbingly, prevalent and active infestations of both rodents and insects. The FDA says the facility didn’t take necessary measures to rectify the infestations of insects and rodents, removing the animals from the facility, ultimately protecting the facility from additional contamination. The FDA also states that surfaces that come in contact with food which come in contact with food were not cleaned, clearing them of violations. “These companies have a responsibility for the safety and quality of their products,” says Melinda Plaisier, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs with the FDA. “When firms do not uphold this responsibility, the FDA will take actions that demonstrate its commitment to assuring customers that foods they buy are prepared, packaged, and held under sanitary conditions.”

Both companies operate under the same roof of the Waynesboro, VA property. Gourmet Provisions is a manufacturer and packager of ice cream cones. The company also stores additional finished-food products in its warehouse in the facility. Royal Cup stores coffee service items within the warehouse of Gourmet Provisions. Some of the confiscated goods were under an embargo issued by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

At the time of writing, no illnesses have been reported in association with the products seized in the facility. The FDA urges any illness or adverse conditions related to the products be reported immediately.

During the most recent inspection, FDA investigators found widespread rodent and insect activity, unclean equipment, and structural defects. Effective measures had not been taken to exclude insects and rodents from the facility and to protect food products and food contact surfaces from contamination.