Store warned four times about selling uninspected meat and poultry products
BOSTON - A Dorchester grocery store - warned on four occasions since February 2014 by federal inspectors about food safety violations - has entered into a consent decree with the government pursuant to which it shall not violate food safety laws, and faces strict penalties if violations are found in the future.
Phu Cuong Enterprises LLC, a Dorchester grocery store, has entered into a consent decree that permanently enjoins it from violating the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act. The government filed its complaint after a series of USDA inspections of Phu Cuong Market showed that the defendant purchased and sold meat and poultry products that were not inspected by the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and that it failed to maintain appropriate business records concerning the purchases of these products. The proposed consent decree has been filed with the court and is awaiting judicial approval. Under the consent decree, USDA investigators will have broad access to Phu Cuong Market’s premises to inspect inventory and records, and the defendant will face significant monetary penalties for any further violations.
“The sale of uninspected meat and poultry products is a significant health risk to consumers," said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Through this consent decree, we hope to prevent this business from jeopardizing the health of future customers."
“After numerous warnings, this company continued to put American families at risk," said Paul Kiecker, Acting Administrator for Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "This action shows that FSIS investigators are on the job protecting public health and will continue to do so."
U.S. Attorney Lelling and Acting Administrator Kiecker made the announcement today. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Sharobem of Lelling’s Civil Division.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
