Chung's Products Slapped with Injunction on Fish Products

HOUSTON, TexasA federal judge has permanently enjoined Chung's Products LP from distributing fish products until the maker of egg rolls and other foods takes remedial action required by court order, according to government officials.

Chung's, whose products are sold in grocery and large retail stores nationwide, was found to have violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by handling shrimp egg rolls under unsanitary conditions, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Monday.

Melinda Harmon, a U.S. District Court Judge, found Chung's was responsible for producing food under unsanitary conditions and failing to control for the risks of Clostridium botulinum and a potentially fatal strain of Listeria, according to the DOJ.

In a press release, 27-year-old Chung's noted the court has allowed the company to sell many products, including its chicken, pork and vegetable egg rolls. Chung's also said it is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and anticipates that it will soon obtain permission to sell its seafood products.

The permanent injunction was entered three years after the DOJ filed a complaint against Chung's and two executives: Charlie A. Kujawa, the company's president, and Gregory S. Birdsell, the firm's director of quality assurance.

FDA previously inspected the company's facilities and found that it was failing to comply with seafood regulations. A 2009 inspection further revealed that Chung's failed to control for the risk of Clostridium botulinum toxin formation in its shrimp egg rolls, which can cause a potentially fatal disease (botulism), according to FDA. The agency also noted detecting the presence of a bacterium that can cause the disease listeriosis.

"I think it's important to note that no products have been recalled, and there is no need for any Chung's products to be discarded," Kujawa said in the press release.