FDA EIR - Taylor Farms Northwest, LLC - August 08, 2016

An FDA comprehensive inspection of Taylor Farms Northwest, Inc., a producer of ready-to-eat salads and other food items in Kent, WA, was conducted from July 26 to August 8, 2016. This inspection, carried out under the Domestic Food Safety Program, resulted in the issuance of a Form FDA 483 detailing several significant observations.

The main violations identified pertained to fundamental sanitation and hygiene practices. These included a failure to maintain equipment, utensils, and finished food containers in an acceptable, sanitary condition, as evidenced by residues on items designated as clean and on processing machinery. Additionally, employees engaged in food handling were observed not maintaining their gloves in a clean and sanitary state, often touching non-food contact surfaces before returning to direct food contact without changing gloves or washing hands. Lastly, cleaned and sanitized portable equipment, such as tubs and bins, was improperly stored in a manner that exposed food-contact surfaces to potential contamination, including pooled water.

In response to these findings, Taylor Farms Northwest management committed to implementing corrective actions. These include a comprehensive review and revision of sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs), providing remedial employee training on handwashing and glove changes, installing hands-free sanitizer dispensers, and revising container storage practices to ensure proper drainage and prevent re-contamination. The company indicated these changes would be implemented within 7 to 15 days.