A California food manufacturer has been barred from producing and selling food products after the U.S. District Court ruled they were in violation of federal safety laws. According to the Department of Justice, Antioch-based Cali Rice Valley Inc., along with general manager and co-owner Cuong T. Do, have been found to compromise the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).
The court action comes after the U.S. government lodged a civil complaint on Oct. 11, 2022, against Cali Rice Valley for its inability to maintain proper hazard analysis and preventive control measures for its food products, including ready-to-eat rice noodles and various bakery goods. Food manufactured at its facilities, according to the complaint, could be contaminated with pathogens. Despite warnings from the FDA, including a formal letter issued back in 2020, the court noted repeat violations identified across multiple inspections between 2019 and 2022.
Through the decree, Cali Rice Valley and Do have agreed to stop the production and distribution of adulterated food articles while having to implement corrective actions under FDA supervision. "Food manufacturers have an important duty to ensure the quality and safety of their products," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, citing the firm's obligation to adhere to public health safeguards. Echoing the sentiment, FDA's Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs, Michael Rogers, affirmed the agency's commitment to food safety and said, "it is always a firm's responsibility to ensure the consistent safety of the products they produce."
The enforcement against Cali Rice Valley reflects a broader commitment by the Justice Department's Civil Division to hold negligent food producers accountable. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney David G. Crockett Jr. and Senior Trial Attorney Roger Gural of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, "with assistance from Senior Counsel Claudia J. Zuckerman of the FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel," as outlined in the DOJ's announcement. The government highlights that although the case has reached a resolution through a consent decree, these were allegations, and the court has not made any determination of liability.
