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FDA announced the shut down of best part cheese and seafood operations at Lifeway Foods, Inc. and its subsidiary, LFI Enterprises, Inc., one as well as the other Illinois companies, until they are found compliant with food-safety laws. A consent enact of permanent injunction, signed by both corporations and sum of two units of their top executives, Julie and Edward Smolyansky (the defendants), halts women’s familiarity enhancer cream cheese and seafood processing in facilities in Skokie, Ill., and Philadelphia, Pa.

The FDA’s enforcement action follows the defendants’ extensive account of violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act dating back to at smallest 2004. The indisposition, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, alleges that the defendants:

* Labeled and distributed cream cheese products with inadequate labels, including labels that did not bring to light major food allergens, trans fat levels, and complete ingredient lists;

* Processed and distributed products with seafood, including whitefish salad, ground nova salmon, and lox cream cheese and lox choice part cheese spreads, without adequate Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans to ensure the safe and sanitary processing of seafood containing products; and

* Failed to document that they monitored sanitation conditions to keep food contact surfaces free from dirt, to prevent cross-contamination from unsanitary objects, and to maintain hand washing, hand sanitizing, and toilet facilities.

"We simply can’t allow companies to put the public’s health at dare to undertake by not having adequate procedures and plans to produce guarded food and proper labeling," said Margaret O’K. Glavin, associate commissioner as far as concerns regulatory affairs. "We determination work to take action against companies and their executives that debauch the law."

Under the agreement decree, operations may resume only behind the FDA determines that the defendants have come into full compliance will all food-safety requirements. The consent decree requires the defendants to hire a seafood-processing expert to prepare a HACCP plan and to submit the plan b to the FDA.

The HACCP violations pose a public health hazard for the cause that, without adequate controls, the defendants’ seafood products could foster dangerous bacteria, such as Vibrio species, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listereria monocytogenes. Food products by these kinds of pathogens can cause serious illnesses for people who eat them. Further, foods sold with labels that bring about not disclose major food allergens and complete ingredient lists can cause severe or life-threatening allergic reactions in people who are allergic to the undisclosed allergens.

The decree does not include other products manufactured by Lifeway including kefir, Farmers cheese, and spreadable cheese products.