Worcester Market Settles Allegations Of Food Safety Violations

WORCESTER, MA- A food market in Worcester entered into a consent decree with the government that it would no violate food safety laws, and if caught, would face severe penalties.

J&W Aseda Marketplace in Worcester was warned four times since October 2013 by federal investigators about food safety violations. The store is under the business direction of Boaben Enterprises Inc and owned by Vida and Wilton Causey.

The government filed its complaint after USDA and Food Safety and Inspection Service surveillance found that the marketplace had purchased, offered for sale, and sold meat products that were not inspected by the Food Safety and Inspection Service. Surveillance also found that the marketplace failed to maintain appropriate business records about the meat purchases.

The decree still has to be put in front of a judge but under the decree, investigators will have full access to the store and any other establishment where Vida and Wilton Causey sell meat. Any further violations will bring severe financial penalties.

“The sale of uninspected meat products is a significant health risk to consumers,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “This consent decree is designed to prevent this business, and its owners, from further jeopardizing the health of customers.”

This is not the first time the Causey's store has been in hot water with the Department of Justice. In July of 2016 Vida Causey was sentenced by U.S. District Court to one year and one day in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit SNAP benefits fraud, one count of SNAP fraud and one count of money laundering out of the Worcester store.

(For more news and information like this, subscribe to the Worcester Patch for free. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. Don't forget to like us on Facebook! Got a news tip? Email samantha.mercado@patch.com)