The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent warning letters to three New York companies specializing in imports of fish and seafood products. The federal regulator has blocked shipments of dried filefish, dried anchovy fish and herring fillets in oil, following laboratory tests carried out by FDA officials.
The three companies — Brooklyn's Hong Lee Trading Company, Han Sung Sikpoom Trading Company, of Ridgewood, Queens, and Russian Products Inc., also based in Brooklyn — had their facilities inspected between Jan. 9 and Jan. 24 and were sent letters requiring them to immediately take corrective action.
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In the warning letters, addressed to the owners of the three companies, the FDA pointed out that the imported seafood did not comply with regulations under the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation. The FDA also stated that the three companies will have to provide evidence that the imported seafood has been produced and processed under conditions that are equivalent to those that U.S. processors are expected to meet.
If such evidence is not provided to the FDA, all products imported by those three companies will be denied access to the U.S. market and will be included on the list for "detention with physical examination," meaning that shipments will be blocked at U.S. ports, the regulator explained.
