Whole Foods warned for non-compliance with food safety regulations

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June sent a stern warning to the Whole Foods supermarket chain for non-compliance with a large list of food safety regulations.

This is a food processing plant in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Whole Foods, which is known to specialize in organic food and has for many years been a leader in the fresh produce industry.

Among the problems pointed out by Whole Foods are dripping of condensate droplets from the ceiling of the plant in close proximity to food, the use of disinfectants, which include ammonium, on working surfaces and the contact of ready-to-eat salads with dirty dishes.

A letter from the FDA, reportedly, will add a headache to the leadership of Whole Foods, which over the past years has been criticized for the slow pace of business growth compared to its competitors. And in 2015, New York City authorities caught the local supermarket for overpricing based on the erroneously stated weight of the product.

Ready food is still the key for Whole Foods, the benefit from selling it is twice as high as packaged products. In 2014, the sales of finished products (about 20%) reached $ 2,7 billion.

However, the current letter is the second regarding the Everett factory, under Boston, known as the North Atlantic division of Whole Foods. The network has a total of three such factories in the United States, since the bulk of the products are prepared directly in supermarkets.

According to experts, the problems of the Chipotle fast-food restaurant have contributed to the recent inspections, in particular, mass poisoning in a boston school.

After the fall of Whole Foods voluntarily withdrew products from a factory in Everett, where they found traces of listeriosis, FDA experts initiated an inspection of the enterprise. Shortly after the results were transferred to the supermarket chain, additional training was reportedly held there.

However, this fact did not satisfy the staff of the department, which is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

“You have failed to provide documented evidence that the measures you have taken have been effectively implemented into your production process,” reads a warning letter sent to Whole Foods on June 8.

For the management of the company, this letter, they claim, has become a surprise, and now they are waiting for a new meeting with representatives of the agency in order to identify the necessary measures to overcome the differences.

Whole Foods has two weeks to provide all the necessary documents. Otherwise, the company is waiting for a new check at its own expense.

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