May 17, 2013 — Federal prosecutors demanded an injunction Friday against a Brooklyn company that has "a history of processing fishery products under insanitary conditions, with inadequate safety procedures."
The federal complaint under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) names as defendants N.Y. Fish Inc., New York City Fish Inc., Maxim Kutsyk, Pavel Roytkov, Leonid Staroseletesky and Steven Koyfman.
New York City Fish manufactures and distributes ready-to-eat fishery products, including smoked salmon and mackerel, and operates out of a food processing facility located at 738 Chester St. in Brooklyn, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors said the company previously operated a similar fish processing business out of the same location, employing virtually all of the same employees.
Although the company has ceased manufacturing, the Food and Drug Administration allegedly believes that its products continue to be distributed and sold.
The FDA conducted seven inspections of the Chester Street facility between 2006 and 2013, according to the complaint. "The inspections showed a repeated failure to minimize the risk of contamination by two dangerous types of bacteria: Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium botulinum," the Justice Department said in a statement. "People who eat food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can contract the disease listeriosis, which can be serious, even fatal, for vulnerable groups such as newborns and those with impaired immune systems. Complications from the disease can also lead to miscarriage. Clostridium botulinum spores can produce the toxin that causes botulism. Eating food tainted with this toxin can lead to paralysis and potentially death.
Read the full story at the Courthouse News Service