Fresh Del Monte Produce has announced that its subsidiary Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. has filed a lawsuit against the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to seek an injunction that would lift an FDA ruling restricting the importation of fresh cantaloupes into the US.
Del Monte Fresh's claims, which were taken out in the District Court for the District of Maryland, are based on the FDA's 'erroneous speculation, unsupported by scientific evidence, that cantaloupes previously imported by Del Monte Fresh from a Guatemalan farm and packing facility were contaminated with the pathogen Salmonella', the group noted.
The group said that neither the FDA, nor any state health agency in the US, has offered evidence or data to support the FDA's action.
'Del Monte Fresh Produce places the highest priority on food safety and protecting customers,' said Fresh Del Monte's vice-president of marketing Dennis Christou. 'We require all of our suppliers to comply with all FDA recommended food safety procedures, including the FDA’s Guide to Minimise Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, as well as the FDA’s Sanitary Standard Operating Procedures.
'The farm and packing facility at issue in this case was in full compliance with these food safety procedures,' Christou added. 'The restrictions imposed by the FDA on Del Monte Fresh Produce’s ability to import cantaloupes are unnecessary and not supported by the facts.'
Del Monte Fresh noted that the ruling had adversely affected its ability to recieve perishable fresh produce for sale in the US, with the import alert threatening the viability of a major import source for cantaloupes.
'Since significant resources and commitments must be finalised immediately to ensure Guatemalan cantaloupes will be ready for harvest in the near future, Del Monte Fresh is seeking immediate injunctive relief from the court,' the group said.
Del Monte Fresh is one the largest importer of cantaloupes into the US, with the fruit farmed, processed, transported, and stored under state-of-the-art food safety controls that 'far exceed FDA regulatory requirements', according to the group.
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