A civil complaint was filed in the US District Court for Kansas on Monday against a Wichita-based food manufacturing company. Native American Enterprises LLC manufactures and distributes "ready-to-eat" refried beans and sauces. Complaints were also filed against the company’s vice president and part-owner.
The complaint was filed by the Department of Justice at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It alleges the company's beans and sauces are prepared, packed or held under unsanitary conditions where they could become contaminated with filth. Conditions mentioned in the complaint include the presence of Listeria Monocytogenes and unsanitary employee practices.
The FDA allegedly observed numerous unsanitary practices during an inspection of Native American Enterprise’s facility in August of last year. That includes rainwater leaking through the roof in the packaging room where employees packaged the beans as well as the failure to maintain equipment in an acceptable condition through appropriate cleaning and sanitizing.
The complaint also states FDA inspectors found Listeria in the facility during two inspections in 2014. According to its website, the company supplies restaurants, hotels, and military, as well as other governmental agencies.
Read the full complaint below:
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