FDA 483 - Taylor Farms Colorado, Inc. - November 12, 2024

An FDA inspection conducted at Taylor Farms Colorado, Inc. from October 28, 2024, to November 12, 2024, identified critical deviations in the company's food safety and sanitation practices. The firm failed to adequately implement its sanitation preventive controls, including monitoring, corrective actions, and verification procedures, particularly for ready-to-eat produce like slivered onions that lack a pathogen-killing treatment step. Significant findings included a hazard analysis that did not identify recontamination by environmental pathogens as a preventive control, and a food safety plan with inaccurate product descriptions that nonetheless listed environmental pathogens requiring control. The inspection also revealed missing sanitation control monitoring and verification records, with a qualified individual failing to document these omissions or initiate necessary corrective actions. Furthermore, operations were not conducted under conditions that minimize food contamination. Specific issues included improper air-drying of food contact surfaces after sanitization, sanitizer concentrations outside recommended ranges, an employee touching unsanitary surfaces before food contact surfaces, and the unauthorized mixing of cleaning chemicals by production staff. These observations indicate non-compliance with federal food safety regulations, particularly concerning preventive controls. Taylor Farms Colorado, Inc. is expected to promptly address these deficiencies to ensure the safety and integrity of its food products.