Woburn Catering Company to Pay Federal Fine

A Woburn catering company will pay a civil settlement for allegedly violating the Federal Meat Inspection Act and Poultry Products Inspection Act.

According to United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, Joseph’s Industrial Catering Corp. of 30 Torrice Drive has agreed to pay $5,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the terms of the 1995 act.

The act states that businesses cannot sell, transport, or offer for sale any uninspected meat, meat products, poultry, or poultry products that are legally required to undergo inspection.       

Authorities believe that on or about Jan. 22 of this year, Joseph’s prepared, transported, and sold 25 non-federally inspected meat and poultry items in violation of its legal obligations and the terms of the decree, said Ortiz in a statement Friday, Dec. 16. 

Although the items were prepared using federally-inspected meat, Joseph’s failed to conduct a mandatory second round of inspection before it sold them to a New Hampshire vending machine company that distributes ready-to-eat products, said Ortiz, adding that the court is not aware of any cases of illness resulting from the products at issue.       

The Joseph's investigation was conducted by the Office of Program Evaluation, Enforcement and Review of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.