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FDA shuts down Idaho juice company
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The FDA has ordered Sun Valley Juice Company in Ketchum, Idaho, to cease operations because the company is suspected of violating food and safety laws and regulations on several occasions, according to a news release.
All of the company’s receiving, processing, preparing, packing, holding, and distribution is suspended until the FDA can verify that the company is in compliance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
The company does not pasteurize its juice, requiring it to follow other precautions to prevent bacteria such as Escherichia coli from contaminating the products, according to the release. The FDA made several attempts to help the company adhere to these regulations before ordering the shutdown.
In 2006, the company agreed in a court-ordered agreement with the FDA to establish and implement a hazard prevention plan. FDA investigators, however, found the company repeatedly defied the terms of the authorized consent decree designed to ensure the company was taking necessary safety measures to protect consumers.
“When a company repeatedly disobeys food safety laws and regulations, and does not stick to a court-ordered agreement designed to protect public health, the FDA must use the full power of the courts to protect consumers,” Melinda K. Plaisier, MSW, the FDA’s associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, said in the release.
Sun Valley Juice Company can resume operations once the FDA confirms the company can adhere to the applicable laws and regulations, the release said.