BOSTON – The United States has reached a civil settlement with a Woburn-based catering company in connection with alleged violations of the Federal Meat Inspection Act and Poultry Products Inspection Act.
Joseph’s Industrial Catering Corp. has agreed to pay $5,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the terms of a 1995 consent decree under which Joseph’s is permanently enjoined from selling, transporting, or offering for sale any uninspected meat, meat products, poultry, or poultry products that are legally required to undergo inspection.
Based on facts developed during a recent investigation, the United States contended that, on or about Jan. 22, 2011, Joseph’s prepared, transported, and sold 25 non-federally inspected meat and poultry items in violation of its legal obligations and the terms of the decree. Although the items were prepared using federally-inspected meat, Joseph’s failed to conduct a mandatory second round of inspection before it sold them to a New Hampshire vending machine company that distributes ready-to-eat products. The United States is not aware of any cases of illness resulting from the products at issue.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by the Office of Program Evaluation, Enforcement and Review of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Pérez-Daple of Ortiz’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit.
