Whole Foods Must Clean Up Its Act, FDA Says -- Update
June 14 2016 - 5:44PM
Dow Jones News
By Jesse Newman and Heather Haddon
Whole Foods Market Inc. has until the end of June to remedy
"serious violations" discovered by federal regulators during a
February inspection of a Massachusetts plant that supplies
ready-to-eat products across the Northeast.
In a warning letter to the company's chief executives, dated
June 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Whole Foods had
failed to manufacture, package and store food in ways that reduced
the potential for contamination and microorganism growth.
On a long list of problems, FDA inspectors said they found foods
like pesto pasta and mushroom quesadillas being prepared or stored
in places where condensation was dripping from ceilings, a doorway
and a fan.
It said the company kept dirty dishes near food, didn't supply
hot water at some hand-washing sinks and allowed high-pressure
hoses used for cleaning to spray into areas where foods like
couscous and salad dressing were being prepared.
A Whole Foods spokeswoman said the company has corrected each of
the issues identified in an earlier warning letter from February,
and that they were surprised that these "thorough and tangible
steps" weren't reflected in the June letter.
"We've been in close contact with the FDA, opened our doors to
inspectors regularly since February and worked with them to address
every issue brought to our attention," said Ken Meyer, the
company's executive vice president of operations, in an emailed
statement on Tuesday.
Prepared foods, like those made in Whole Food's Boston area
plant, have become an increasing part of what grocers offer given
higher profit margins and consumers' increasing desire to eat ready
meals. Whole Foods has long offered prepared foods in its stores.
Its new chain, geared toward younger, price-savvy shoppers, 365 by
Whole Foods Market, also emphasizes in-store dining.
Last year, Whole Foods recalled batches of its curry chicken
salad and classic deli pasta salad from stores along the East Coast
after products tested positive for a dangerous form of listeria
during a routine inspection of its Massachusetts facility. The
items were sold in salad bars, chef's cases, and sandwiches and
wraps prepared at Whole Foods stores.
The 70,000-square foot North Atlantic kitchen facility supplies
prepared foods and other products to 74 stores across eight states,
including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, New York
and New Jersey, the company said.
The FDA, in its June letter, said the company's previous
response was inadequate, adding that the company failed to mention
steps it would take to supervise food processing operations and
compliance going forward. It said Whole Foods also didn't provide
documentation for review.
The agency cited Whole Foods for failing to keep its equipment
in acceptable conditions, saying a sample it took from a machine
used to chop vegetables tested positive for a non-pathogenic form
of listeria. The pathogen's presence suggests conditions exist in
Whole Food's plant that support the growth of dangerous forms of
listeria and indicate the company's methods of cleaning and
sanitation may not be up to snuff.
"Your firm should consider improving your environmental
monitoring program to verify the adequacy of your cleaning and
sanitation operation, " the FDA said in the letter. Listeria is a
potentially deadly bacteria.
According to the FDA, Whole Foods also didn't safeguard food and
plant surfaces that touch food from "contamination with chemicals,
filth and extraneous materials."
Whole Foods' financial performance has been difficult recently ,
with its identical store sales slumping in one of the worst
declines since the recession.
Its shares slid after the FDA report surfaced Tuesday, trading
2.90% down at $32.52 at close, one of the biggest one-day
percentage drops the company has experienced this year.
Write to Jesse Newman at jesse.newman@wsj.com and Heather Haddon
at heather.haddon@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 14, 2016 18:29 ET (22:29 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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