Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Category: Department of Justice

  • DOJ Sues Potato Company for Alleged Discrimination Against Immigrants

    The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against two Washington companies—Washington Potato and Pasco Processing—for allegedly discriminating against immigrants during the employment eligibility verification process. United States v. Wash. Potato Co., No. 16-1320 (D.O.J., filed November 14, 2016). The complaint alleges the companies required non-U.S. citizens to submit specific documentation to process the…

  • Natural Food Co. to Pay $1.5 Million in Justice Dept. Agreement on Federal Immigration Laws

    Following an investigation into potential criminal violations of federal immigration laws, Mary’s Gone Crackers Inc. will pay $1.5 million and establish a corporate compliance program but will not be prosecuted, the U.S. Department of Justice has announced. The investigation determined that 48 of the company’s employees were ineligible to work in the United States; Mary’s…

  • Former FDA Commissioner Examines Increasing DOJ Actions Against Food Companies

    Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner for Foods David Acheson has authored an article warning food company officials to prioritize food safety in light of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) increasing prosecutions against executives of food companies responsible for pathogen outbreaks. Acheson describes the Park Doctrine, which allows the government to seek…

  • Dole Facing Government Investigations over Listeria Outbreak

    Following a Listeria outbreak allegedly linked to a Dole Food Co. salad manufacturing plant, the company is reportedly facing investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Several media outlets have reported that an FDA investigation obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request found Dole knew of nine…

  • Founder of Halal Co. Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison

    The founder of Midamar, an export company charged with fraud for sending “halal” meat to Malaysia that failed to meet halal slaughtering standards, has reportedly been sentenced to two years in federal prison and ordered to pay $60,000 in fines and $184,983 in disgorgement. Midamar was fined $20,000 and ordered to forfeit $600,000. A U.S.…

  • Cheese Cos. Plead Guilty to Adulterating Parmesan

    Two cheese companies and an executive from a third company have pleaded guilty to charges relating to the manufacture and sale of adulterated and misbranded Parmesan cheese products. The companies, Universal Cheese & Drying, Inc. and International Packing, LLC, were charged with conspiracy to introduce misbranded cheese products into interstate commerce and to commit money…

  • DOJ Closes Maine Seafood Company for Unsanitary Conditions

    A Maine federal court has granted the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) a permanent injunction against Mill Stream Corp., a seafood company that allegedly failed to take measures preventing the formation and growth of Clostridium botulinum, the cause of botulism, or Listeria monocytogenes, the cause of listeriosis. U.S. v. Mill Stream Corp., No. 16-0080 (D. Me.,…

  • Federal Agencies Target Dietary Supplement Manufacturers and Distributors

    The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have announced the latest developments in civil and criminal actions taken against 117 dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors as the result of a year-long investigation into allegedly tainted products. According to a November 17, 2015, DOJ press release, an 11-count indictment alleges…