La Cabana Food Distributor – FDA Warning Letter, Dec 5, 2025

The FDA issued a warning letter to La Cabana Food Distributing, Inc. following an inspection of its Oceanside, California, facility conducted between November 12 and December 5, 2025. The agency identified significant violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food regulations. A primary concern was the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in the production environment. The FDA noted that the company failed to identify environmental pathogens as hazards requiring preventive controls and lacked adequate sanitation and monitoring procedures to manage these risks.

Additional violations included a deficient supply-chain program; the company did not verify that its raw produce suppliers, such as farms growing tomatoes and peppers, were implementing necessary safety controls. Furthermore, investigators observed unsanitary facility conditions, specifically water and ice from cooling units dripping onto uncovered ingredients. While La Cabana submitted a response in late 2025, the FDA found it insufficient as it lacked evidence of thorough cleaning, resampling, or effective testing protocols.

To comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the company must provide a written response within 15 working days. This response must detail the specific steps taken to correct the identified issues and prevent their recurrence, including supporting documentation of new safety measures. Failure to address these concerns may result in legal action, including product seizure or suspension of the facility’s registration.