Source: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2009/ucm161388.htm
Timestamp: 2013-05-20 08:02:21
Document Index: 286168522

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 123', 'art 123', 'art 110', 'art 110', 'art 123', '§ 342', 'art 123', 'art 123', '§ 342', '§ 381', 'art 123', 'art 110']

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April 3, 2009 WARNING LETTER NYK 2009-09
Richardo Duarte, President
455 Claremont Parkway
We inspected your seafood processing and importer establishment, located at 455 Claremont Parkway, Bronx Terminal Market, Bronx, NY 10457, on December 18, 2008, and January 14, 2009. We found that you have serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 123 (21 CFR Part 123), and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 110 (21 CFR Part 110). In accordance with 21 CFR 123.6(g), failure of a processor offish or fishery products to have and implement a HACCP plan that complies with this section or otherwise operate in accordance with the requirements of Part 123, renders the fish or fishery products adulterated within the meaning of Section 402(a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), 21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(4).
As an importer of fish or fishery products, you must operate in accordance with the requirements of 21 CFR 123.12. In accordance with 21 CFR 123.12(d), there must be evidence that all fish and fishery products offered for entry into the United States have been processed under conditions that comply with 21 CFR Part 123. If assurances do not exist that the imported fish or fishery products have been processed under conditions equivalent to those required of domestic processors under 21 CFR Part 123, the fish or fishery products will appear to be adulterated under Section 402(a)(4) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(4).
Accordingly, your smoked and salted herring fillets and eviscerated herring bloaters are adulterated,
in that they have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have
been rendered injurious to health. You may find the Act, the seafood HACCP regulation and the Fish and Fisheries Products Hazards & Controls Guidance through links in FDA's home page at www.fda.gov. Your significant violations were as follows:
1) You must conduct or have conducted for you a hazard analysis for each kind of fish and fishery product that you produce to determine whether there are food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur and you must have and implement a written HACCP plan to control any food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur, to comply with 21 CFR 123.6(a), and (b). However, your firm does not have a HACCP plan for smoked and salted herring fillets and eviscerated herring bloaters to control the food safety hazard of histamine formation.
2) You must implement an affirmative step which ensures that the fish and fishery products you import are processed in accordance with the seafood HACCP regulation, to comply with 21 CFR 123.12 (a)(2)(ii). However, your firm did not perform an affirmative step for smoked and salted herring fillets and eviscerated herring bloaters packed for (b) (4)
We may take further action if you do not promptly correct these violations. For instance, we may take further action to, refuse admission of your imported fish or fishery products under Section 801(a) of the Act (21 U.S.C. § 381 (a)), including placing them on "detention without physical examination," seize your product(s) and/or enjoin your firm from further violating the Act. You should respond in writing within fifteen (15) working days from your receipt of this letter. Your response should outline the specific things you are doing to correct these violations. You should include in your response documentation, such as HACCP and importer verification records, records that document the performance and results of your firm's affirmative steps, HACCP and verification records associated with your activities as a domestic processor, or other useful information that would assist us in evaluating your corrections. If you cannot complete all corrections before you respond, you should explain the reason for your delay and state when you will correct any remaining violations.
This letter may not list all the violations at your facility. You are responsible for ensuring that your
seafood importer establishment operates in compliance with the Act and the seafood HACCP regulation (21 CFR Part 123) and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation (21 CFR Part 110). You also have a responsibility to use procedures to prevent further violations of the Act and all applicable regulations for your fish or fishery products, including those that you import into the United States.
Please send your reply to the Food and Drug Administration, Attention: Dean Rugnetta, Compliance Officer, 300 Pearl Street, Suite 100, Buffalo, NY 14202. If you have questions regarding any issues in this letter, please contact Mr. Rugnetta at (716) 541-0316.