A local Quincy food market and its proprietors have agreed to a consent decree after being accused of multiple violations of federal food safety laws. Wei Zheng and Cun Yong Liu, who run Quincy Convenience Store, faced legal action due to allegations of selling non-inspected and misbranded meat and poultry products, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Investigations led by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service detailed the store's practices of purchasing and selling over 440 pounds of non-federally inspected and mislabeled meat products, including 34 pounds of meat and poultry illegally imported from China. The settlement permanently bars the Quincy shop, under the threat of significant penalties, from further committing violations of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA), ensuring broad access for future inspections of the premises and business records.
"Consumers deserve to trust that the food they purchase is produced and sold under safe and sanitary conditions," United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy was quoted in the statement. He expressed that the consent decree held the defendants "accountable for their repeated failures to comply with federal food safety laws" and was a stride towards "rigorous oversight moving forward," as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Dr. Denise Eblen, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service Administrator, emphasized the risks that illegal and unregulated food products pose to public health and the integrity of the nation's food safety system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Sharobem of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit was responsible for handling this legal matter after having repeatedly cited Quincy Convenience Store for its failures. Necessary steps to maintain the safety of American consumers were pledged by Dr. Eblen, who also outlined the commitment to hold businesses responsible and ensure adherence to safety laws.
