A Washington manufacturer that fell afoul of the Food and Drug Administration has agreed to keep its products away from consumers until the items can be proven safe again.
Beginning in 2009, the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the FDA uncovered a wide variety of sanitary issues at a processing facility run by Del Bueno, a cheese manufacturer. Following these discoveries, a number of their products then tested positive for listeria monocytogenes in 2010. This can cause listeriosis, which can bring about infections, fever, and diarrhea, and is particularly dangerous to pregnant women, the elderly, and young people.
Now, Del Bueno has entered into what’s called a consent decree of permanent injunction with the FDA. The company must now create a program dedicated to combating listeria contamination and prove that it has worked. This includes destroying all items currently in their facility, getting samples tested by an independent lab, and having an independent sanitation expert on hand. Only by following these directives and submitting to a future recall should the need arise can the entity resume business as usual.
The products produced and distributed by Del Bueno were available at restaurants and retail outlets throughout the state of Washington.
It’s sad that a company has to shut its doors, but as a Riverside personal injury attorney, I think it’s better that an issue gets corrected than commerce win out over safety. It’s my hope as a San Jose personal injury lawyer that the contamination becomes nonexistent and the consumer can remain safe.