PORTLAND — One of Maine's largest seafood processors is shut down for a final inspection while a federal judge reviews a legal agreement to settle concerns about food safety violations in the company's plants.
The proposed consent decree was filed Tuesday by U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty against Portland Shellfish Co., citing unsanitary conditions at its processing plants in Portland and South Portland.
The filing followed four recalls stemming from two episodes of contamination of cooked lobster meat since 2008. The meat was found to be contaminated by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenese, which causes listeriosis, a potentially fatal disease for high-risk groups such as pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. Symptoms include headache, fever and vomiting.
In the proposed consent decree, Portland Shellfish agrees to fully comply with conditions set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure that the company follows food safety regulations.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine).