Artisan Specialty Foods

November 13, 2008
 

WARNING LETTER

CHI-01-09

CERTIFIED MAIL
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Mr. David S. Vohaska, President
Artisan Specialty Foods
8121 Ogden Ave.
Lyons, IL 60534-1125
 

Dear Mr. Vohaska:
 

We inspected your seafood processing facility, located at 8121 Ogden Ave., Lyons, lllinois on September 18 through 22, 2008. 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, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 110 (21 CFR 123 & 110). In accordance with 21 CFR 123.6(g), failure of a processor of fish 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). Accordingly, your anchovy filets 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:
 

• 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 anchovy filets to control the food safety hazard of histamine.
 

We may take further action if you do not promptly correct these violations. For instance, we may take further action to seize your product(s) and/or enjoin your firm from operating.
 

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 verification records, 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 processing plant operates in compliance with the Act, 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.
 

Please send your reply to the Food and Drug Administration, Attention: Matthew J. Sienko, Compliance Officer, 550 West Jackson Blvd., 15th Floor, Chicago, IL 60661. If you have questions regarding any issues in this letter, please contact Mr. Sienko at 312-596-4213.

Sincerely,
/S/
Scott J. MacIntire
District Director